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One Assault-Robbery Solved, Another Unsolved in Norwood

One Assault-Robbery Solved, Another Unsolved in Norwood
POLICE HAVE CHARGED Leopold Traynam, 39, with assault and robbery.
Photo courtesy NYPD

The NYPD has arrested a suspect while also looking for a duo wanted in unrelated assault and robberies cases in Norwood.

In the most recent incident, police were looking for the man who “shoved and punched” an 88 year-old woman at 2:25 p.m., on Aug. 3 inside the Bank of America at 299 East 204th Street. The suspect took the victim’s $2,500 she withdrew from the ATM before fleeing on foot.

Surveillance video captured the suspect as the 52nd Precinct’s Twitter feed posted photos and updates on the case. Apparently identified through facial recognition software, police eventually released a mugshot of the suspect, who was quickly apprehended.

On Aug. 8, police announced the arrest of Leopold Traynam, 39, of nearby East 205th Street, who was charged with grand larceny and assault.

Meanwhile, police continue to hunt for two individuals wanted in connection with a bizarre robbery and assault that took place at Perry Avenue and Holt Place, at 2 p.m. on July 16.

According to NYPD spokeswoman Sargent Jessica McRorie, one of the two suspects “approached a 46 year-old female and asked if she was looking at [her] girlfriend and then cut the victim’s hand with an unknown object.”

The two suspects eventually fled with the victims shopping cart.

One Assault-Robbery Solved, Another Unsolved in Norwood
POLICE AT THE 52nd Precinct respond to an assault in Norwood on July 16.
Photo by David Cruz

The victim, who was treated by paramedics at the scene, recalled, “The woman who slashed me thought I was talking to her wife and I told her I wasn’t and that I didn’t even know either of them and I didn’t want any problems. But she wasn’t hearing that.”

The longtime resident of the area continued, “She hit her wife and threw my shopping cart up against the metal gate, so I went across the street because I saw a young man who looked like he worked out, and I told him what was going on. He told me to run. I can’t run, I have lung issues. He didn’t say a word or do anything.”

“When the crazy b—h comes across the street,” the victim continued, “I’m trying to hide behind the guy and she’s screaming, ‘I’m gonna kill you.’ I had my hand on the guys back, I was using him as a shield. That’s when she stabbed me on the hand. I started crying and had a full-blown panic attack.”

The victim added, “People were walking by and not doing anything, there was another guy sitting on his porch. I walked down the block to St. Brendan’s, the local church and the doors were closed. I was hysterical and had to call the cops myself. I drove around with police, but we couldn’t find them. I have seen them both in the area since the attack. I don’t even want to leave my house, I hate it here and I wish I could move out of this hell-hole.”

Today, the victim now keeps a padlock on a key-chain as well as a can of pepper spray, that she keeps at her ready, when she has to walk her dog or shop at the local supermarket.

The victim concluded, “All I want is peace… I don’t want to live like this. The neighborhood has changed and I hate it.”

Police are believed to be looking at surveillance video from an NYPD camera on Holt Place, that may have captured the entire incident.

Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.

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