Florida Man Pleads Guilty after DNA Match, Gets 20 Years to Life for Van Nest Murder of Bronx Woman

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced on Friday, Feb. 3, that a Florida man has been sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for the strangulation murder of a Bronx woman in a Van Nest apartment in 2000. The cold case was solved in 2017 when DNA and a fingerprint from the crime scene were matched to him. In the context of the announcement, Clark said, “The defendant killed a 19-year-old woman in December 2000 and her lifeless body was discovered by her mother. The defendant moved on and started a new life in Florida, but justice

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Pursuant to an ongoing investigation, on Feb. 3, 2023, police shared an additional surveillance video of an assault incident that occurred at 679 Allerton Avenue in the Allerton section of The Bronx on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023 at around 6 a.m. Video courtesy of the NYPD. The NYPD has released additional video of an assault that occurred in Allerton in late January and is asking for the public’s help identifying the people seen in the video who are sought for questioning in connection to the incident. As reported, police said that on Saturday, Jan. 28, at around 6

By SÍLE MOLONEY

An off-duty firefighter has been arrested in The Bronx for driving while intoxicated police said. An NYPD spokesperson said that on Friday, Feb. 3, at 9.44 p.m. José Valdez, 37, an FDNY firefighter was arrested in the 45th Precinct which covers the neighborhoods of Co-op City and City Island in the Northeast Bronx. Valdez was charged with driving while intoxicated, leaving a scene with property damage as a driver, driving while impaired by alcohol, and refusing to take a breath test. A person arrested and charged with a crime is deemed innocent unless and until convicted in

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The NYPD said on Tuesday, Jan. 7, that a 23-year-old man from Norwood who had been reported missing has been located. Prior to being located, it had been reported to police that Lino Cruz Ballinas Jr. of Webster Avenue had last been seen on Monday, Jan. 30, at around 11.34 a.m., inside St. Barnabas Hospital. He was described as being around 5 feet, 10 inches tall, weighing 190 pounds, with a light skin complexion, brown eyes, black hair and a beard. Prior to being located, he had last been seen wearing a red jacket, gray jeans, neon

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The New York City area may experience severe weather including freezing temperatures from an arctic cold front and potential wind gusts of up to 40 mph, starting Friday, Feb. 3, and continuing into Saturday, Feb. 4, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Accordingly, NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) is reminding all builders, contractors, crane operators, and property owners to secure their construction sites, buildings, and equipment. Department officials said DOB will be performing random spot-check inspections of construction sites around the City, and if sites are not secured, DOB officials will take immediate enforcement action, issuing violations and

By SÍLE MOLONEY

City Hall has convened a Task Force with relevant City agencies to address overnight truck parking in NYC and to assess potential solutions. According to City officials, existing regulations prohibit commercial vehicles from parking on residential streets overnight, but the problem has persisted, particularly in outer borough neighborhoods. They said that with the increased use of freight and expected industry growth, the City needs to examine the trends and data, and come up with solutions that will be long term and sustainable. To this end, a Please click here for Overnsurvey. has been launched to collect information on the topic.

By SÍLE MOLONEY

City health officials announced on Wednesday, Feb. 1, an end to the MPV [monkeypox / “mpox”] outbreak. The news comes as transmission remains “very low” in the City for two consecutive months health officials said, adding that the declaration followed the successful vaccination of more than 100,000 New Yorkers, and community partnerships in education and behavior change. The City had been the epicenter of the outbreak last year but according to health officials, DOH launched a number of successful response strategies to curb transmission. The declaration of the end of the outbreak also comes as the U.S. public

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The NYPD said a 12-year-old girl from Marble Hill who was reported missing on Tuesday, Jan. 31, has returned home and is “in good health.” It was reported to police that, prior to returning home, Dayana Vazquez of Adrian Avenue in the Marble Hill section of The Bronx was last seen on Tuesday, Jan. 31, at around 7.47 a.m., leaving Prospect Park station in Brooklyn. She was walking toward M.S. 442 Carroll Garden School for Innovation, located at 500 19th Street. She was described as female, 5 feet, 4 inches tall, Hispanic, weighing around 140 pounds, with

By DAVID GREENE

The following is an extended version of the story that appears in our latest print edition. A Bronx mother is still seeking answers more than five weeks after her son, a Norwood resident, was shot and killed in Fordham Manor just seven days before Christmas, as reported. The mother of the victim alleges she was told at St. Barnabas Hospital her son was shot 17 times. An NYPD spokesperson said officers responded to a 911 call regarding a man who had been shot inside 2650 Briggs Avenue on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, at 11.13 a.m. “Upon arrival, they discovered