The Numbers Don’t Lie

Unsolved mysteries, hate crimes, and drug trafficking are a few of the more strange news stories coming out of the Bronx crime news recently.  Authorities have their hands full investigating these incidents and appeal to the public for assistance.

Crime, according to the latest report by New York City Police Department statistics, is down year to date by just over 5%.  Over the past two years, crime is down nearly 2%.  In the United States, violent crime rates are up, and property crime rates are down.  Based on information in the Crime in the United States 2015 report, there were nearly 16,000 murders in the country and just over 90,000 rapes.  Other figures showed approximately 328,000 robberies and almost 72% of the nation’s murders included the use of firearms.  Property crimes cost victims an estimated $14 billion.  FBI Director James Comey stated that the “information is accurate, reliable, complete, and timely.”

Narrowing down the statistics to the Bronx area of New York, the local crime rates indicate some improvement in addressing criminal activities in this part of the city.  Nonetheless, there are still some outstanding cases that are newsworthy.

Bronx Crime: Suicide Mystery News

In a case from March 19, a man informed a clerk at the Nor-Bronx River Service Station that he saw someone jump into the Bronx River around 11:45 p.m.  The clerk, in turn, reported the information to authorities.  As a result of the report, police searched the area and found a suicide note but did not locate a victim.  The mysterious case is somewhat baffling since the reported incident does not have many clues.  There is no proof that someone jumped into the river other than the suicide note found at the scene.  Officials seek assistance from the public regarding this incident.

Bronx Crime: Authorities ask is it an Accident, Murder, or Suicide?

Here’s another Bronx crime of note. A Bronx woman plunged to her death from an apartment window.  The 43-year old housekeeper was on duty when it appears that two men broke into the apartment.  Police believe that the men entered the residence for an attempted robbery.  A neighbor reportedly heard a loud sound from the unit; however, they did not recall hearing any other alarming sounds.  The apartment owner Pedro Perez chased the suspects from the scene with an illegally owned gun.  The victim, Maria Carolina Sanchez-Tiburico, tried to escape, ultimately leading to her death.

Neighbors respected Sanchez-Tiburico as being a hard-working woman who was making her ends meet.  They were shocked to hear of her death and urge anyone with information about the case to contact authorities.

Police have officially classified the case as a homicide and are investigating all leads.

Perez was arrested for having the unlicensed gun and ceased to cooperate with police after the arrest.  The suspects fled the scene and remain at large.

Bronx Crime: Possible Hate Crime

While mosque worshipers prayed inside, suspects allegedly smashed in the front glass door of a religious center.  Members of the Masjid Salam Mosque reported hearing a shattering sound as they were praying.  The men, seen on surveillance video, walking by 911 Longwood Avenue around 8 p.m. on March 17, threw a stick into the door.  The assailants then left the scene in opposite directions.  The act cited as criminal mischief at this point, is still under investigation.

Possibly a hate crime, the incident adds to an already long list of similar incidents.  In a 2015 crime report, the Federal Bureau of Investigations cited nearly 7,000 offenses relating to race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, and gender identity.  The growing number of misconduct concerning Bronx crime worries authorities that copycat occurrences will persist.

Members of the Masjid Salam Mosque reported hearing a shattering sound as they were praying.  The incident resulted in approximately $250 worth of damage.

Bronx Crime: Heroin Ring Thwarted

Police confiscated more than $4 million and 3 kilograms of heroin in a March 18 raid at a self-storage company in the Bronx.  The trafficking ring, reported to extend from New York to Massachusetts, was an elaborate scheme to smuggle drugs across several state lines.  The suspects hid the narcotics in furniture and used moving vans to drive between the two states.  According to a statement by the New York City Special Narcotic Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan, this case highlights the lucrative nature of the drug operating industry.

Officers arrested three men and charged them with possession of a controlled substance.  The judge set bail for each person ranging from $100,000 to $750,000.  A fourth suspect, believed to be the driver of the delivery van, was also arrested.  Members of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and New York State and City police were all involved in the bust.

Anyone with information about these cases can contact Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-8477

This has been a special report from the offices of Troy Smith, Attorney at Law.