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Murder rate grew last year in 114th, 108th Pcts.

Murder rate grew last year in 114th, 108th Pcts.
Photo by Christina Santucci
By Rebecca Henely

Crime rose in the 114th Precinct and fell in the 108th in 2012, although incidents of murder, rape and felony assault rose in both precincts last year, according to NYPD statistics.

The 114th Precinct — which includes Astoria, Dutch Kills and the Astoria, Ravenswood and Queensbridge public housing developments — logged 2,083 incidents of crime last year compared to 2,007 in 2011. The murder rate also moved up slightly with six slayings in 2012 vs. five in 2011.

The first murder of the year occurred in February, when 32-year-old Jordan Hawes beat his wife Tara to death with a baseball bat inside their 30th Street apartment. He pleaded guilty to the crime and received a sentence of 25 years in prison. A disturbing echo of the crime took place in June, when 33-year-old Jason Bohn allegedly strangled and beat his girlfriend, 27-year-old Danielle Thomas, in the apartment on 33rd Street where they once lived together, the Queens district attorney’s office said.

At Astoria Houses in March, 23-year-old Tysheen Davis was allegedly shot by 19-year-old neighbor Lacorey Johnson, police said. The next slaying in 2012 occurred in April near a housing project, when Ravenswood Houses resident Shaka Ryan was shot in a liquor store. Tori Burke, 22, was later arrested in connection with the crime, according to a family member of Burke.

In May, 35-year-old Wahid Elawame allegedly stabbed 28-year-old Mrwan Said in an apartment above a hookah cafe on Steinway Street, police said.

On Aug. 21, 75-year-old Carmelo Cucchiara was found dead at his home at 41st street near 21st Avenue, an NYPD spokeswoman said. While police originally marked it as a mysterious death to be investigated, the city medical examiner ruled that he had been suffocated with a pillow, police said. Gregory Cucchiara, 36, was arrested in connection with the crime, police said.

The 108th Precinct encompasses Long Island City, Sunnyside and most of Woodside. Its homicide rate doubled in 2012 with four murders compared to 2011’s two slayings.

In Long Island City in September, 28-year-old Oscar Arzeno died after a fight with 28-year-old gas station worker Jesse Singh. The latter’s family claimed he was defending himself. No arrests were made.

Three homicides occurred in Sunnyside last year. In September, Amis Cale fatally stabbed his wife Jennifer before jumping off the No. 7 train. Both later died at Elmhurst Hospital Center. In the same month, 62-year-old Sunnyside resident Lou Rispoli was assaulted by three men, currently unapprehended, near his home and later died from his injuries. Another murder occurred on a Sunnyside No. 7 train platform in December when 46-year-old Sunando Sen was pushed in front of the subway. Erika Menendez, 31, is awaiting trial in connection with the crime.

The 114th Precinct saw a rise in all crimes except robberies, of which there were 319 in 2012 compared to 331 in 2011. Rapes spiked up to 41 vs. 26 last year. In 2012 there were also 352 felony assaults compared to 345 in 2011, 473 burglaries compared to 465 in 2011, 697 grand larcenies compared to 647 in 2011, and 195 grand larceny autos compared to 188 in 2011.

In the 108th Precinct, rapes jumped to 15 from 11 in 2011, robberies increased to 189 vs. 155 in 2011 and felony assaults rose to 142 in 2012 compared to 120 the previous year. The precinct had a drop in burglaries to 243 down from 291 in 2011, a decline in grand larcenies to 462 from 506 in 2011 and a decrease in grand larceny autos to 137 from 181 in 2011.

Reach reporter Rebecca Henely by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 718-260-4564.