Weekend Crime Blotter: Shooting in Crown Heights, Arrests Made in Multiple Cases & More

CROWN HEIGHTS – A streetcorner shooting early Monday morning has police searching for a suspect.

Around 7:30 am on Monday, September 3, an unidentified man fired several shots at a 25-year old male victim near the corner of Nostrand Avenue and Prospect Place in Crown Heights, police said. The victim was struck once in the lower back.

The shooter fled on foot, heading eastbound on Prospect Place, police said. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition.

Surveillance video of the suspect can be seen below:

Also on Labor Day, two city employees were arrested while off duty, police confirmed.

Jonathan Cardona, 33, was arrested in the 72nd Precinct, which covers Sunset Park and Windsor Terrace, charged with criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, assault and harassment, police said. Cardona is a Department of Sanitation worker.

Additionally, in the 90th Precinct, which covers Williamsburg, 47-year old Ernest McCoy, an FDNY firefighter, was arrested for criminal obstruction of breathing, police said.

PROSPECT LEFFERTS GARDENS – Police have arrested and charged a man wanted in connection with the rape of an 11-year old girl earlier this week in PLG.

18-year old Julio C. Alaya was arrested on Saturday, September 1, and charged with rape, sex-motivated burglary, sexual abuse and more after he allegedly broke into an apartment and raped an 11-year old child on Wednesday, August 29, police said.

The attack came at 11:30 pm, near Flatbush Avenue and Winthrop Street, when the suspect entered the child’s bedroom through a second story window, police said. After the rape, the suspect fled through the window and the victim alerted her parents, who called 911. The girl was taken to a local hospital in stable condition.

Alaya lived a few blocks away from where the crime was committed, across Caton Avenue on 21st Street, police said. His picture can be seen below:

BROWNSVILLE – After a man shot pepper spray at drivers and passengers on multiple B15 buses in Brownsville last week, police have made an arrest.

Andre Chandler, 46, has been arrested and charged with four counts each of assault, reckless endangerment and menacing, police said.

The pepper-spray attacks sent passengers and drivers alike to nearby hospitals to be treated for eye irritation, but luckily, no serious injuries appear to have resulted from the bizarre attacks. Chandler’s motivation for the attacks is unknown at this time.

SHEEPSHEAD BAY – Finally, police have released photos of three suspects wanted in connection with a case of a stolen credit card in Sheepshead Bay in late July.

A 58-year old victim found that a credit card she applied to but never received was used to make more than $2,500 in purchases at the Home Depot in East New York. It’s unclear how to suspects came into possession of the card, but mail-fishing is a likely scenario.

Surveillance photos of the three suspects can be seen below:

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).  The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.