107th Precinct

Raging Bus Rider Busted
The drover of an MTA bus in Fresh Meadows this week is recovering from cuts, bruises and head injuries he suffered on July 5, when a 20-year-old passenger went berserk and started pummeling the city employee.
Cops said Glen Whelan, of Queens, started shouting and cursing at the bus driver as the bus headed to Union Turnpike and Utopia Parkway at about 2 a.m. on July 5.
“The guy went nuts, punching the bus driver over and over,” eyewitnesses told police, sources said.
Whelan punched the driver in the face, breaking his eyeglasses, police sources said. The driver managed to maintain control of the bus as terrified passengers dialed 911 for help, the sources said.
Police caught up with the bus and arrested Whelan, who was charged with assault, criminal mischief and harassment at his arraignment at Queens Criminal Court.
Investigators are still trying to determine why Whelan went into the rage and attacked the bus driver.

Hunt Armed Bank Bandit

Federal agents and Queens detectives are searching for a suspect in connection with a July  holdup at an Astoria Federal Savings Bank in Fresh Meadows.

Cops said the suspect entered the bank branch on Hillside Avenue at about 1 p.m. on July 9, where he walked up to a teller, displayed a weapon and handed over a note demanding cash.

The teller complied and handed over an undisclosed amount of cash to the suspect before he fled in an unknown direction, police said.

The suspect is described as a black male, 30-40 years old, approximately 180 pounds, 5-feet, 7-inches to 5-feet-8-inches tall, with a light complexion and “lots of freckles,” police said.

He was wearing a light blue short-sleeved shirt, light blue jeans, black shoes, a blue baseball cap and mirrored sunglasses and was carrying a black bag at the time of the robbery, police said.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS or click on  www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.

The Hotline is offering a $2,000 reward to anyone with information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect.

108th Precinct

Cops Hunting Seafood Thief
Police in Woodside are seeking help from the public to identify and locate a brazen bandit who swiped a boxes of seafood from a local Sushi restaurant on July 6.
Cops said the suspect entered the Sushi X Restaurant on Northern Boulevard and 48th Street at about 10:40 p.m. on July 6. The brazen burglar walked out of the restaurant a short while later with $1,600 worth of tuna, eel, crab and snapper, police said.
The suspect, who was captured on surveillance video, is described as a black male, 30-40 years old, with a thin build.
He was wearing a light polo shirt, baseball cap and black sunglasses at the time of the burglary, police said.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS or click on www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.

115th Precinct

Manhole Blast Empties Commercial Strip
Firefighters responding to a smoky manhole fire on July 16 evacuated more than a dozen stores along a busy Jackson Heights commercial strip, a fire spokesperson said.
The blast occurred at about 3 p.m. on July 16 at a manhole at 95th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, sent shoppers and pedestrians running for safety, eyewitnesses said.
Firefighters battled the blast for about 35 minutes, fire officials said. Con Edison crews arrived at the scene within minutes of the blast and worked into the evening to restore power to the area, police said.

A Con Edison spokesperson said there is no word on exactly what caused the fire and explosion.

Manhole fires are common during extreme heat conditions, when overheated underground wiring ignites trash tossed on the street, the Con Edison spokesperson said.
No one was injured in the explosion, fire officials said.