Borough-Wide Blotter
COMPILED BY LIZ GOFF
104 Precinct

Bogus Check Bust

Police arrested a 26-year-old Ridgewood man on February 26, after he stole and forged two checks and deposited them in his own bank account.

Police said between January 25 and February 5, George Zelaya stole a check from the mailbox of a co-worker, erased the name on the check and inserted his own name, made the check out for $4,000, and then deposited it into his own account. He then stole a blank check from an office at a construction site where he was working, made it payable to himself in the amount of $3,500 and deposited the check in his account.

Bank officials spotted the theft and notified police, who arrested Zelaya on grand larceny, forgery and related charges.

Gun Rap

Police arrested a 22-year-old Maspeth man and two teen accomplices on February 24, after they assaulted a partygoer and fled the scene.

Authorities said Jonathan Capella bludgeoned a man with a loaded gun at about 3:30 a.m., at a house party on 69th Street and 49tth Avenue. Police said Capella repeatedly beat the man in the head with the gun, and then fled with Marissa Ginenthal and Jonathan Calderon, both 17, in a silver Dodge Neon.

All three were charged with weapons possession, Capella was also charged with assault.

Mate-Hate

Police in Ridgewood arrested a local man last week, after he allegedly beat his girlfriend and threatened to kill her. The unidentified woman had recently ended her relationship with Goran Vesic and had moved out of his Woodbine Street home. Vesic attacked the victim when she returned to the residence to pick up some personal items.

The woman managed to lock herself in a room at Vesic's home, where she called 911 for assistance, police said.

Vesic was charged with assault, menacing and harassment at his arraignment in Kew Gardens Criminal Court.

109 Precinct

Flushing Man Attacked

A 21-year-old Flushing man remains hospitalized this week, recovering from a violent assault during a street robbery on February 28.

Police arrested Brian Upegui, 20, for allegedly attacking the victim at about 4 p.m., as the man walked along Parsons Boulevard near 71st Avenue. Upegui punched and kicked the victim, then snatched a chain from around the man's neck before fleeing the scene.

Upegui was arrested and charged with robbery and criminal possession of stolen property.

Bicyclist Killed

Police saw a bicyclist, swerving in and out of traffic along Roosevelt Avenue in Flushing, struck and killed by a vehicle on March 1. The unidentified victim, in his 30s, was traveling east near 126th Street when struck by a gray Mitsubishi. The driver, who remained at the scene and dialed 911 for assistance, was not charged in the incident.

111 Precinct

Dad Dies In Fresh Meadows Crash A 48-year-old Queens man was killed on February 26, after the car he was driving collided with another vehicle and ended up on the front lawn of a home on 73rd Avenue, at 181st Street, police said.

Police said Daniel Luey was in the vehicle with his wife and 12-year-old son shortly before noon, when his silver Toyota collided with a Lincoln driven by an 88-year-old man. The Toyota, driven by Luey, struck the Lincoln and then veered onto the front lawn of a home on 181st Street.

Luey's son, who tried to flag down help after the crash, was admitted with his mother to New York Hospital of Queens (NYHQ), where they were both listed in stable condition, the father was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival at the hospital. The driver of the Lincoln was not injured in the crash.

115 Precinct

Homeless Man Arrested In Rape

Cops arrested a 34-year-old homeless man on February 25, after he abducted a 15-yearold girl at knifepoint off a street in Jackson Heights. He repeatedly raped the girl during a two-hour ordeal on February 24.

Police said Edward Jiminez approached the teen from behind as she walked along 62nd Street, pointed a knife at her and said, "If you're quiet and come with me, I won't hurt you."

He led her to a nearby building, forced her to undress, ignored the girl's pleas for him to leave her alone, and sexually assaulted the victim for two hours. When he finally allowed her to leave, he told the teen he would track her down like an animal and kill her if she told anyone about the assault, the sources said.

Jiminez was arrested the following day on rape, weapons possession, assault, harassment, menacing and other charges.