UPDATE Two Bronx Men Sentenced for Selling Used Ghost Guns & Assault Weapons to Undercover Officer

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced on Friday, March 24, that two Bronx men were sentenced to prison for their roles in the illegal selling of multiple firearms and large capacity ammunition feeding devices to an undercover NYPD officer. According to the prosecution, the weapons included so called “ghost guns” and assault rifles, and two of the guns had been used in prior shootings.   Clark said in the context of the announcement, “The community is safer thanks to the undercover officer who stopped the recycling of these weapons. Two of the recovered guns had been used in shootings


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Jose Gonzalez Found Guilty of Killing EMT Yadira Arroyo

Fordham Heights resident, Jose Gonzalez, was found guilty by a jury on Wednesday, March 8, of the murder of FDNY Emergency Medical Technician, Yadira Arroyo, who he ran over with her ambulance nearly six years ago, according to the Office of the Bronx District Attorney. Darcel Clark, Bronx district attorney, announced the news the same day. As reported, after years of waiting, the family of the victim received news that Gonzalez was finally fit to stand trial on Sept. 21, 2022.   In the context of the conviction announcement, Clark said, “Jose Gonzalez was convicted today of first-degree murder in


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CM Amanda Farías Allocates $25,000 to Jacobi Medical Center’s Stand Up to Violence Program

District 18 City Council Member Amanda Farías presented a check of $25,000 to support Jacobi’s Stand Up to Violence (SUV) program in early February. The SUV program is the first hospital-run, cure violence-based program in the nation. During a February press conference held to announce the funding, Jacobi’s SUV unit reported it had seen a 59 percent decrease in the likelihood of violent re-injury in SUV patients, and also a 59 percent decrease in gunshot wound victims within the borders of the precincts which the SUV unit serves.   Hospital officials said the council member committed funds to assist with


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Family of Angellyh Yambo Launch Foundation in her Memory on her 17th Birthday

Angellyh Yambo was a 16-year-old high school student with dreams of becoming a doctor when she was shot and killed as she walked home from school with friends in Mott Haven on April 8, 2022. On Tuesday, Jan. 24, on what would have been Angellyh’s 17th birthday, her family and friends gathered at her mausoleum in Woodlawn cemetery to mark the official launch of The Angellyh Yambo Foundation.   During the emotional event, different colored balloons were released into the air marking the exact moment of her birth, 17 years earlier. Later, the family confirmed that the foundation’s website was


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UPDATE Man, 65, Dies in DOC Custody at North Infirmary Command of Rikers Island Prison

NYC Department of Correction (DOC) officials said a person in custody at the North Infirmary Command (NIC), part of Rikers Island detention center, has died, marking the first death of a person in DOC custody in 2023.   The news was confirmed by department officials on Saturday, Feb. 4 at around 11.20 a.m. “Marvin Pines, 65, who was in custody at the North Infirmary Command (NIC) passed away on 2/4/23,” a DOC official said. “Mr. Pines was pronounced dead at NIC at approx. 6.18 a.m. this morning.”   Reacting to the news, DOC Commissioner Louis A. Molina said, “Any death


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Bronx Borough Hall Lit Yellow for International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Bronx Borough Hall was lit in yellow in recognition of International Holocaust Remembrance on Friday, Jan. 27, along with all municipal buildings across the the City. Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson said on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the City commemorated the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest German Nazi concentration and extermination camp, adding, “We remember and honor the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust and the many others that were murdered.”   Gibson continued, “Today, seven people were killed in a terror attack inside a synagogue in Jerusalem. We will not tolerate these horrendous acts of


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Fatal Longwood Gunshot Victim, Josue Lopez-Ortega, Saves 7 People Through Organ Donation

  The 15-year-old male gunshot victim who was fatally shot in the Longwood section of the Bronx on Jan. 19, as reported,  has provided the gift of life, via organ donation, saving seven people, according to LiveOnNY. The latter is a nonprofit, federally designated organ procurement organization (OPO) dedicated to saving lives, providing comfort, and strengthening legacies through organ, eye, and tissue donation.   Working closely with transplant centers and hospitals, LiveOnNY coordinates transplants, educates the public and healthcare professionals about donation and transplantation, and promotes the importance of signing up on the New York State Donate Life Registry.  


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UPDATE Westchester Square: NYPD Launch Murder Inquiry after Boy, 15, Dies Apparently from Neck Trauma

The NYPD has launched a murder inquiry following an incident in the Westchester Square section of The Bronx in which a 15-year-old boy died.   Police said that on Monday, Jan. 23, at around. 4.18 p.m., police responded to a 911 call regarding an aided, unconscious male who was inside an apartment building located on Doris Street.   “Prior to the arrival of police, EMS responded to the location and transported an unconscious and unresponsive 15-year-old male to NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi, where he was pronounced deceased,” an NYPD spokesperson said. “Further investigation revealed the male victim had sustained trauma


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Inquiring Photographer: Thoughts on 2022 and Hopes for the New Year

This week, we asked readers their thoughts on 2022 and their hopes for the New Year.   “I did not feel safe in 2022 and I couldn’t enjoy my summer. A few people dear to me passed away. Despite the few accomplishments that we had, 2022 was filled with disappointments, empty promises, and uncertainty. I hope that in 2023 we can put an end to the reckless motorcycle and motorized bike riding on the sidewalk and the senseless loud noise coming from passenger cars and SUVs. My hopes are to raise awareness to the needs of our folks with disabilities,


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