The Murder Book 2008

August 19th -- 1 dead, toddler found bruised and bitten in bed...

Jashya Brown, a 2 1/2-year-old black toddler (on left with mother and brother), was found dead Monday night in his family's home in the Far Rockaway section of Queens just a month after he'd been returned to the family from a stint in foster care, according to stories in the NY Times and Daily News.

An autopsy was pending to determine cause of death but there were reports from Jashya's parents that the boy had been rough-housing with an older sibling, or had fallen off a bicycle, the stories reported. According to the News, the boy's body was covered in bites and bruises.

Police questioned the boy's mother Sheree Brown and her live-in companion Daquean Williams, but they were allowed to leave the police precinct without any charges being filed. Brown had spent most of his short life in foster care after social service workers removed him from the home when he was a month old because of an injury.

Jashya's grandmother, DeShawn Purrington, told The News that her daughter had come home from her job as a subway cleaner to find Jashya cold and lifeless in a blood and vomit-soiled bed. She called 911.

Purrington told The News: "My daughter is a good mother. She took very good care of her kids." She did not have kind words for Williams who has hired a lawyer and refused to cooperate in the investigation, according to the News' story. "I couldn't stand him because he beat my daughter," Purrington said. "There always was something wrong about him."

August 19th -- 1 dead, 90-year-old mauled by pit bulls...

Henry Piotrowski, a 90-year-old white male and World War II veteran, died Sunday from injuries he received on July 1st after being attacked by two pit bulls in his Staten Island backyard, according to stories in the Daily News and Staten Island Advance.

The dogs that attacked Piotrowski, Popeye and Brutus, were euthanized on the day of the attack. James McNair, 28, and his girlfriend, Kim DiPrima, 37, were charged with felony assault for allowing the dogs to roam free near Piotrowski's Port Richmond home. It's possible, according to the Advance story, that more serious charges could be filed against McNair and DiPrima now that Piotrowski has died.

Piotrowski's relatives have filed a notice of claim against the city for $7 million, citing a failure for authorities to act against the dogs and their owners despite repeated calls to 311.

August 18th -- 1 dead, woman hacked to death by ex-boyfriend...

Maribel Esutate, a 37-year-old Latina, was hacked to death Saturday evening by her ex-boyfriend who jumped out from behind a parked car in Harlem and proceeded to slash at Maribel with a machete, according to a story in the Daily News. Marible thus joins a parade of women who've been killed by boyfriends, ex-boyfriends, hubands, and live-in lovers this past year. Look for a posting on this trend soon.

Julio Morenta, 41 -- who had a child with Maribel -- had threatened to kill her before; this time, police said he made good on his threat. He was arrested at the scene. Maribel was taken to St. Luke's Hospital where she later died.

Maribel's sister told The News that his sister had broken up with Morenta three years ago but that he refused to let her go. "She didn't want to be with him, and he didn't understand," the sister told the News.

Morenta reportedly had been jailed at least once previously for violating an order of protection taken out by Maribel.  He was charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon.

August 17th -- 1 dead, choked in rent-money dispute & more on boxer's murder...

Rae Chisolm, a 38-year-old male, was strangled to death Saturday, allegedly by a former roommate who accused Chisolm of stealing rent money, according to stories in the Daily News and NY Post.

Chisolm had been away from his former residence in South Ozone Park, Queens, for several weeks but returned Saturday to pick up some belongings. He was confronted by his ex-roommate Rami Hawana, 22, who then allegedly put Chisolm in a fatal choke hold, according to the newspaper stories.

Hawana was arrested, and charged with second-degree murder.

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Police yesterday announced the arrest of Shamir Woodson, 21, who was charged in connection with the beating death of Norman Brown, a 26-year-old father-to-be who was beaten to death with a heavy garbage can on in June.

The story in the Daily News reported that detectives had kept missing Woodson as they chased leads across the city but that a tip to the Crimestoppers hot line on August 6th proved to be Woodson's undoing.

Woodson reportedly had gone to a party in a Bronx apartment at Washington Avenue and 171st Street, and someone soon dropped a dime on him.  "It was his going-away party," one detective joked to The News. 

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The murder of boxer Ronny (Venezuela) Vargas has attracted the attention of all three daily newspapers -- the News, Post, and NY Times. The News also hasa a photo spread online of Vargas' boxing career and tragic death.

 

August 16th -- 3 dead, including pro boxer shot in Bronx bodega...

Ronney (Venezuela) Vargas, a 20-year-old Latino male and professional boxer, was shot to death early Saturday after Vargas and some friends got into a fight in a Bronx bodega, according to stories in the Daily News and NY Post. (Photo from Daily News)

Vargas, a three-time Daily News Golden Gloves champ, was pistol-whipped and shot in the chest as he attempted to escape the fight, according to the News story. The fight broke out inside a deli on Clinton Avenue in the East Tremont section.  

The fight involved Vargas, five of his friends and two other couples. A police source told the News the two sides felt they were being disrespected. Vargas drove off in his Honda Accord but the other group caught up with the car at a light; the killer got out, pistol-whipped Vargas and then shot him in the chest, according to police reports.

Vargas was able to drive off but hit several other cars before he got out and collapsed. He later died at St. Barnabas Hospital. No arrets but police are searching for a white sedan

Vargas was undefeated since he turned professional.

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Donnette Sanz, a 33-year-old Latina female, was killed Thursday when an ex-con driving with a suspended license and bad brakes, slammed into Sanz -- a NYPD traffic agent -- and threw her into the path of a yellow schoolbus. Sanz, seven months pregnant, later died but doctors were able to deliver her baby son. (Photo is of Rafael and Donnette Sanz)

Walter Walker - whose license was previously suspended 24 times - was being held on $100,000 bail after Bronx prosecutors charged him with criminally negligent homicide. Walker's wife Yvette told The News: "He's no villain. There's a lot of good about him."

But police said that, aside from driving with a suspended license, Walker knew he was having brake problems and continued driving his van. And he has a truly unbelievable record of horrible driving dating back to 1986, according to a Daily News story.

At least two dozen witnesses to the accident rushed to Sanz' aid and lifted the school bus to get Sanz out from under the wheels. 

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Adrian Moldovan, a 50-year-old male, was shot to death back on June 26th, and yesterday Eric Alke, Moldovan's friend and a Federal Customs agent was indicted and charged with criminally negligent homicide for his friend's death, according to stories in the NY Post and Daily News.

Moldovan had been visiting Alke's Forest Hills home and both men had been drinking back in June when Alke said that Moldovan grabbed Alke's .38 caliber Smith & Wesson and shot himself once in the chest.  But prosecutors maintain that Alke actually fired one random shot that killed Moldovan.

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Read the full story behind the murder of dancer Catherine Woods, subject of my book "Death of a Dream," co-authored by CBS News correspondent Erin Moriarty. This is the behind the scenes story of Catherine's controversial lifestyle, the two men in her life, and the trial of Paul Cortez. Reviewers called the book: "compelling" and "a chilling good read." Available at bookstores under 'true crime' and online. First chapter available free.

August 15th -- 1 dead, toddler beaten to death and parents charged...

Ginelis Jimenez, a 3-year-old Latina toddler, was beaten to death in Brooklyn Wednesday night, and had earmarks of battered child syndrome, according to stories in the Daily News and NY Times. 

Police charged little Ginelis' parents -- Michael Jimenez, 25, and Kimberly Cantos, 23 -- with her murder. According to what sources told The News, Michael Jimenez admitted punching his young daughter in the chest with his closed fist. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said the girl's body had damage to her liver and intestines.

It was the end of a lifetime of abuse, officials said, and placed blame on the mother for doing nothing to stop the vicious beatings, according to the stories. The couple's other child, a 1-year-old boy, also had signs of abuse and was placed with the Adminstration for Children's Services.

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August 14th -- 1 dead, teen killed by cousin cleaning gun...

Veronica Cruz, an 18-year-old Latina youth from Massachusetts, was shot to death Wednesday evening while visiting with an aunt who lived on Cornaga Avenue in the Far Rockaway section of Queens, according to stories in the Daily News and NY Post. 

Details remained sketchy but it appears that Cruz, who had just graduated high school, was shot once in the head while she was watching her 18-year-old cousin clean his gun. What a teenager was doing with a gun is another question not readily answered.

The victim's aunt told the News that Cruz was "a beautiful girl, full of life. Now she's gone, and nobody knows what happened."

By day's end, the police and district attorney's office had arrested Cruz' cousin and charged him with manslaughter and possession of a deadly weapon.

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Police yesterday announced they have made an arrest in the death of Chelsea resident Michelle Hyams, a 60-year-old white woman found stabbed to death in her apartment at 85 Eighth Avenue back in early June, according to a story in the NY Post. Arrested and charged with second-degree murder was Robert Camarano, Hyams' 61-year-old live-in boyfriend, police said.

Camarano allegedly stabbed Hyams in the head and neck after she apparently confronted him about pawning her jewelry for drugs. Hyams, the subject of a NY Times profile after her death, apparently had been supporting Camarano for years but began to resent him after she retired earlier in 2008.

August 13th -- 3 dead, including man tortured and killed by mentally ill girlfriend...

Chiwa Chan, a 45-year-old Asian male, was suffocated and slashed to death in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn Monday evening by his mentally ill girlfriend, according to a story in the Daily News and a brief in the NY Post.

Raquel Glenn, 53, (photo, Daily News) who has a long history of mental illness, according to the News story, used a nail gun to secure Chan to a chair, and then proceeded to torture him. She allegedly duct-taped a plastic bag over her boyfriend's head, and then slashed his body and throat with a knife.

She herself called 911 and waited calmly for the police to arrive. She allegedly told cops she was hearing voices.

A woman who lived in the couple's building told The News: "I can't believe something like this could happen. They seemed like peaceful people."

Glenn and Chan met in a hospital psychiatric ward, according to what a police source told The News. She was charged with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon.

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An unidentified 20-year-old Latino male was found shot to death Tuesday evening in front of 730 East 165th Street in the Bronx, according to a police report. He had suffered a gunshot wound to the head, and another 13-year-old Latino youth had been shot in the arm and thigh but was listed in stable condition at Lincoln Hospital. No arrests.

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Michael Benn, a 32-year-old black male, was found shot to death Tuesday evening in front of 35 East 51st Street in Brooklyn, according to a police report. He had been shot serveral times in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. No arrests.

 

August 12th -- 2 dead, including mother stabbed in front of children...

Veronica Rivera, a 32-year-old Latina female, had her throat cut Monday evening by her ex-boyfriend in his basement apartment in the Jamaica section of Queens, according to a story in the NY Post.

Pedro Ayala, 21, slashed Rivera's throat in front of Rivera's two young children but neither child was harmed. Rivera previously had moved out of Ayala's basement apartment on 151st Street but had returned for a visit when the attack occurred, according to the Post story.

Rivera's mother told The Post: "She left him twice . . . she was scared for her life."

Ayala was arrested and charges were pending last night.

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An unidentified white male was found stabbed to death Monday evening at 1636 West 7th Street in Brooklyn, according to police reports. He had suffered several stab wounds to his body and was pronounced dead at the scene. No arrests.

 

August 11th -- 1 dead in Bronx parking lot...

An unidentified Latino male was found shot to death inside a 2007 Nissan Ultima located in a parking lot at 1578 East 233d Street in the Bronx, according to police. The victim, believed to be in his late 20s, was found shot once in the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene. No arrests.