Deaths

South Bronx: Street Co-Naming Held in Honor of Venancio “Benny” Catala Jr.

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Family and friends of the late Venacio “Benny” Catala Jr., joined together at 166th Street and Teller Avenue just east of Morrisania on Saturday, July 29, as Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson and District 16 City Council Member Althea Stevens hosted a street co-naming ceremony to honor the popular community leader for what was described as his decades of public service and community leadership.

UPDATE Friends Honor Man Who Died after Being Held in Police Custody

By DAVID GREENE
More than two dozen friends of Justin “Gusto” Gidora, 36, gathered at Indian Field in Van Cortlandt Park just after sunset on Saturday, July 22, to remember a good-natured and apparently troubled, young man who died under mysterious circumstances after being held in police custody, as previously reported.

Vigil to be held for Woodlawn Man who Died after Being Held in Police Custody

By DAVID GREENE
Officials have remained tight-lipped after a beloved Woodlawn Heights native died at Lincoln Hospital on July 14 after being held in police custody. Friends of Justin “Gusto” Gidora, 35, are expected to gather on Saturday night, July 22, in Van Cortlandt Park for a candlelight vigil in memory of the young man.

Summer of Violence Continues as Gun Free Zone Law Introduced in Memory of Angellyh Yambo

By SÍLE MOLONEY
The following is an extended version of the story that appears in our latest print edition.  Despite marking the month of June with the usual events aimed at curbing the gun violence that continues to plague The Bronx, the last day of Gun Violence Awareness Month was marred by the violent shooting of a 5-year-old girl in Olinville, followed by a spate of 16 shootings over the Fourth of July weekend. What followed was possibly even worse when four people, including two children under the age of 7, were gunned down in broad daylight by two masked scooter drivers beside St. James Park in Fordham Manor on July 11, shocking local residents.

Feds Announce $25M for 173 E-Bike Charging Stations at Over 50 NYCHA Sites for Safe E-Bike Access

By SÍLE MOLONEY
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand stood alongside NYC Mayor Eric Adams on June 25 to announce funding of $25 million for 173 safe e-charging and storage stations at more than 50 NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA) sites. Schumer and Gillibrand said the federal funds will go towards the construction, and electrical work needed to make the project complete.

UPDATE FDNY Called to Tracey Towers for Electrical Incident

By SÍLE MOLONEY
Reports of a fire at Tracey Towers, a Mitchel Lama, residential housing complex located on the Bedford Park/Norwood border, on Saturday morning, July 15, proved to be unfounded, and the incident was later classified as an electrical issue, FDNY officials said.

Highbridge: NYPD Launches Murder Investigation after Norwood Man Dies in Apparent Bludgeoning

By SÍLE MOLONEY
A 33-year-old resident of Norwood has been murdered in the Highbridge section of The Bronx, police said.   NYPD officials said that on Thursday, June 22, at around 9.03 p.m., cops responded to a 911 call for an aided male/calls for help inside 1165 Shakespeare Avenue in Highbridge.   “Upon arrival, officers observed a 33-year-old male in a semi-conscious state within the fifth-floor hallway, with a sustained lactation under his chin,” an NYPD spokesperson said. “EMS responded to the location and transported the aided male to NYC Health & Hospitals/Lincoln, where he was pronounced deceased on Sunday, June 25, 2023.”


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