Bedford Park News: Murdered Popular Teen Mourned

Bedford Park News: Murdered Popular Teen Mourned: By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, OCTOBER 30- A popular student from Walton High School was shot and killed near St. James Park....

Murdered Popular Teen Mourned

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, OCTOBER 30- A popular student from Walton High School was shot and killed near St. James Park.

According to police, it was just after 9 p.m. on October 23, when officers responded to a call of a male shot outside of 2622 Jerome Avenue, in the Bedford Park section.

The victim, identified by police as Michael Beltre, 17, of Washington Avenue, had reportedly been shot one time in the face and was pronounced dead at St. Barnabas Hospital.

Friend's say Beltre, a junior at Walton, had arrived in the Bronx just two short years ago from the Dominican Republic.

Police say Beltre was speaking to two individuals just steps away from McDonald's, when one of the two men pulled the gun and shot him.

The following day a large crowd of Beltre's friends were busy setting up a memorial for the young man, when police asked the teens to move it so a store owner could open her nail salon.

The store owner had recently been closed after part of the building's facade collapsed. On this day she would first have to scrub-down the dried blood left on the sidewalk.

At the new vigil, across the street from St. James Park, where Beltre could often be found playing basketball, one young mourner, offered, "He was a sweetheart. He had no enemies, no problems and he loved McDonald's."

Friends can not explain what happened or who did it.

Coincidentally, the morning after Beltre's brutal death, the annual breakfast of the 52nd Precinct Community Council was held just two short blocks from where the teen was shot.

Outgoing Deputy Inspector Joseph Dowling stated, "That's currently under investigation. I was at the scene with the detectives, but I can't give you any details because it's an ongoing investigation."

Bedford Park News: Tough Questions for 52nd Pct.’s New Commanding Off...

Bedford Park News: Tough Questions for 52nd Pct.’s New Commanding Off...: Officer Injured in Norwood Pellet-Gun Shooting By David Greene BRONX, NEW YORK, OCTOBER 30- An early morning pellet-gun shoo...

Tough Questions for 52nd Pct.’s New Commanding Officer

Officer Injured in Norwood Pellet-Gun Shooting

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, OCTOBER 30- An early morning pellet-gun shooting has left one police officer with a minor hand injury and a suspect was injured climbing over a fence-- after an early morning incident on Rochambu Avenue in Norwood.

According to Deputy Inspector Joseph Dowling, the officer was shot in the hand by a pellet-gun as the officer struggled with a suspect that took place in the rear courtyard of 3133 Rocambeau Avenue at sometime after 4 a.m. on October 25.

A small army of police as well as tactical units converged on the area and at least one suspect, possibly two are currently in police custody.

The 52^nd Precinct, which has seen a noticeable up tick in crime and violent incidents such as this shooting, is currently in a transition as Deputy Inspector Nilda Hoffman was recently named commanding officer of the precinct that covers Norwood, Bedford Park and Fordham.

Dowling was on scene of this shooting and also attended that morning's Annual 52^ndPrecinct Community Council Breakfast.

At about the same time, Hoffman was at 1 Police Plaza where she attended a ceremony where she was promoted to Inspector, apparently one of the perks that come with her new command.

Ironically, the breakfast was held at Monroe College on Jerome Avenue, 2 short blocks from where a popular 17-year-old Walton High School student was shot to death the previous Wednesday evening.

At the breakfast, Dowling stated, "This morning's incident, the officers were investigating some individuals, they were alerted to the fact that one of the individuals was in possession of a firearm. They stopped two individuals as he went to stop one of them,  he drew a firearm from his person."

Dowling continued,"One of the officers felt the danger with him pulling out what appeared to him to be a gun... he discharged one round and did not strike the perpetrator or any innocent victims."

Police say the suspect was carrying a pellet-gun that looked like a real, "Desert Eagle," handgun. Sources say that officer suffered a minor hand injury and is believed to have been transported to North Central Bronx Hospital. The still-unidentified suspect suffered a leg in jury as he scaled a fence, he was treated at Montefiore Hospital.

Bedford Park News: Joe Lhota Comes to the Bronx

Bedford Park News: Joe Lhota Comes to the Bronx: 100 PERCENT By Robert Press We Found Joe Lhota BRONX, NEW YORK, OCTOBER 24-  Maybe it was our front page photo of Republican M...

Joe Lhota Comes to the Bronx

100 PERCENT

By Robert Press

We Found Joe Lhota

BRONX, NEW YORK, OCTOBER 24- Maybe it was our front page photo of Republican Mayoral candidate Joe Lhota on a milk carton as missing from the Bronx two weeks ago, but since then Lhota has come to the Bronx twice. 

First it was in Coop-City, and then this past Sunday to a legislative breakfast in Riverdale. Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani won big in Riverdale, but times were different then. Lhota even promised to return to Riverdale two times before the November election. It seems while those at the legislative breakfast welcomed him few if any who attended are going to vote for Joe Lhota for mayor. I was told Lhota's opponent Bill deBlasio was out of town. DeBlasio has been to the event in the past in his capacity as Public Advocate. You can go to my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com to read more about the breakfast and see the many photos of the event. One of the photos is that of current MTA board member Charles Moerdler chatting with the former head of the MTA. Moerdler and Lhota had words during one MTA board meeting, but Mr. Moerdler said that he and Mr. Lhota have a cordial relationship. I would take that as a no vote. One of the honorees was Mr. Jeffrey Moerdler (son of Charles Moerdler) who heads the Riverdale Hatzolah Volunteer Ambulance.

Is Bill deBlasio making some mistakes on his way to city hall? While the latest polls have deBlasio well ahead of Joe Lhota with no other minor candidate close to Lhota, what is Bill deBlasio thinking when he says he supports Mayor Bloomberg's efforts to ban sugary sodas over 16 ounces. After clearing up his statement a little deBlasio said that it is the obesity problem that plagues New York City children, and that is where he agrees with the policy efforts of Mayor Bloomberg.

While the Democratic Primary is the race to win in the Bronx there is still a general election on Tuesday November 5^th. In the 15^th City Council race Democratic Primary winner Ritchie Torres still may have a tough race in November, because while he won a six person primary one of his opponents from that primary faces Torres one on one in the General Election. This past Monday Democratic candidate for the 15^th city council seat held a fund raiser. You can go to my blog to see just who showed up to this fund raiser being given by Bronx County Democratic County Leader Carl Heastie.

Norwood received a slow zone thanks to the hard work of Assemblymen Mark Gjonaj and Jeffrey Dinowitz. This Norwood slow zone encompasses the Williamsbridge Oval, two schools, and five different early learning centers. As to just where the dividing line in the slow zone of the two assembly districts is, both assemblymen answered it is a joint slow zone with no seams.

What happens when there is a proposal to build something the community is against. This past Monday Community Board # 4 held a protest to a proposed Tier II Transitional Facility on the Grand Concourse. In a letter to the president and CEO of Housing Bridge Inc. CB 4 outlined that they sympathize with the individual and or families in need of such services, but cannot and will not support efforts to secure approval from DHS to acquire 42 units at 1387 Grand Concourse. CB 4 goes on to site “fair share” as an issue, and the lack of community participation in the process.

Finally there may be more delays at the now way over budget ($2 billion over budget) Croton Water Filtration Plant being built in Van Cortlandt Park. I received word about an investigation that may halt the project for up to two more years as certain things get double checked and triple checked before the plant can be operational. This could be one reason that the DEP cut down on the number of meeting from one a month to one a quarter. Just what is the DEP hiding now?

If you have any comments about this column or would like to have an announcement listed or event covered in this column or on my blog you can e-mail us at 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com or call 718-644-4199 Mr. Robert Press.

Bedford Park News: Bronxites Walk to Find Cure for Breast Cancer

Bedford Park News: Bronxites Walk to Find Cure for Breast Cancer: By Patricia McDow BRONX, NEW YORK, OCTOBER 24- Marie Barbarto, along with her Mom Dorothy are breast cancer survivors. On October...