Greenpoint Star Newspaper

Police are investigating the death of a 63-year-old man inside an East Williamsburg parking lot.

Authorities say yesterday afternoon, at about 3 p.m., officers responded to a call about a man struck by a car inside the parking lot of Decorama, a building supply company at 1233 Metropolitan Avenue.

Sources say Hou J. Li, from Coney Island, was hit by a 2005 GMC flatbed truck, driven by a 32-year-old man. He was  backing out of the parking lot when he fatally struck Li.

Police arrived to find Li unconscious and unresponsive with head trauma. EMS responded, and immediately pronounced him dead.

There are now arrests at this time. The investigation is ongoing by the NYPD’s Highway Patrol Collision Investigation Squad.

Two north Brooklyn leaders were honored at Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s annual Communion Breakfast last Sunday.

John D’Arienzo and Andrew Anastasio, both undertakers by trade,  and their families have served the local community for generations.

St. Nicks Alliance, the School Settlement Association and the Conselyea Street Block Association joined them in their celebration on April 2nd.

Police are searching for this man for an attempted burglary in Williamsburg.

Authorities say on March 27, at about 12:20 p.m., the suspect went inside the residential building at Keap Street and South 1st Street.

He approached an apartment door, covered the peep hold and opened the unlocked door.

Unfortunately for the attempted burglar, he saw a 73-year-old woman and another 39-year-old woman inside the apartment.

The suspect immediately closed the door and flew down the stairs and out of the building.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.

A motorcyclist from Fort Greene was killed in an overnight incident along the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway on early Monday morning.

Police say that at around 4 a.m., 35-year-old Anthony Rivera lost control of his Yamaha motorcycle westbound on the BQE near Morgan Avenue on the Greenpoint side.

He was ejected and landed in the middle of the roadway. Rivera was then struck by a 2007 Toyota SUV, driven by a 52-year-old man.

That man remained on the scene and was taken to Elmhurst Hospital, where he’s in stable condition, authorities say.

EMS responded to the scene and pronounced Rivera dead at the scene.

There are no arrests and an investigation is still ongoing.

The MTA announced that portions of the L train will be shut down on weeknights for maintenance, cleaning and repair work.

From April 3 to 7, and again from April 10 to 14, the L line will be suspended in both directions between Lorimer Street and Broadway Junction from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Instead, the L will operate in two sections, between Canarsie and Broadway Junction, and from Lorimer Street to 8th Avenue in Manhattan. The MTA will provide free shuttle buses as alternate transportation between Lorimer Street and Broadway Junction.

MTA officials recommended transferring to the G, M, A and J trains for service as well.

The closures are part of the MTA’s FASTRACK initiative that performs weeknight maintenance work in tunnels, stations and on track. According to the MTA, the train-free time gives workers a “safer work environment” to perform repair tasks.

“FASTRACK has consolidated maintenance forces in a concentrated area for proactive maintenance that helps improve service delivery,” said Wynton Habersham, senior vice president for the Department of Subways.

Authorities are investigating the death of a 4-month-old baby inside Brooklyn Hospital yesterday evening.

Officers were told by hospital staff that Shabsie Tabak, from Williamsburg, was brought into the facility by Hatzolah, a volunteer ambulance service.

Tobak’s 23-year-old mother accompanied the baby to Brooklyn Hospital in Downtown Brooklyn.

The Medical Examiner will determine the toddler’s cause of death, authorities say. NYPD is conducting an ongoing investigation into how Tabak passed away.

Police say a drunk Brooklyn man fell from the fourth floor of an East Williamsburg building to his death on Saturday.

According to authorities, 21-year-old Tyler Wyatt was seen falling from a window in front of 924 Metropolitan Avenue.

When officers arrived, he was found with trauma to his body. Wyatt was taken to Woodhull Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

An investigation is still ongoing. The Medical Examine will determine his cause of death.

Wyatt’s listed address is 953 Metropolitan Avenue, just down the street.

Media reports say Wyatt was at a party and was drunk when he fell out of the building window.

His family has been notified of his death.

If you know any high school students interested in criminal justice, please spread the word.

Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez and the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) are partnering for a summer internship program for high school students who live or attend school in Brooklyn.

Students with an interest in criminal justice or public service are invited to apply for the five-week program.

“We are excited to host this hands-on and interactive internship program offering high school students the chance to work directly with Assistant District Attorneys and gain valuable real world experience,” Gonzalez said. “Participating students will receive an insider’s view of the criminal justice system and the chance to be mentored in a professional workplace setting.”

Selected students will be assigned to specific units within the DA’s office. They will support the work of ADAs and other staff members.

Some of the responsibilities include:

• Assisting with legal research and analysis using the Internet, news articles and legal periodicals
• Helping attorneys on pre-trial matters
• Working on case preparation, discovery, file maintenance and organizing court documents
• Participating in trial zone workshops
• Going on judicial, legal and law enforcement-related field trips
• Observing criminal proceedings including trials, guilty pleas and sentencing.

The program is open to qualifying sophomores, juniors and rising seniors who must commit to the entire duration of the program.

The internship will run from July 10 to August 11. Students will come in Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Students will also receive a $150 weekly stipend and commuting costs.

Applicants are required to sent their most recent school transcripts, a one-page resume, two letters of recommendation and evaluation forms from either a teacher, coach or mentor.

Applicants must also submit a 300-word typed essay (12-point font and double-spaced) on why you are interested in interning with the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office and what impact you think it will have on your personal and professional future.

Completed documents should be emailed to the Brooklyn DA’s office at brooklynda.org/internships in PDF format with the subject line: “Brooklyn DA Summer Internship Program.” Applications are due no later than April 20, 2017.

If you have questions, contact hsinternships@brooklynda.org.

It’s finally here!

Starting this weekend, residents of Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn and others within Councilman Stephen Levin’s district can vote on their favorite neighborhood projects.

This year, Levin has allocated $1.5 million that will fund the top projects voted by residents in the participatory budgeting process.

Projects include improvements to parks, new equipment for local schools and safer streets.

To vote, the only requirements are to be over the age of 14 and to live within the district. Check the listed places and times when you can cast your vote for your favorite projects.

Voting will run through April 2nd, so don’t forget to let your voice be heard.

If you want to volunteer or have any questions, contact Benjamin Solitaire at 718-875-5200 or bsolotaire@council.nyc.gov.

On Sunday, April 9, the Newtown Creek Alliance (NCA) is hosting a day-long walking tour of the Newtown Creek.

The 14-mile walking tour will cover the full perimeter of the creek. It’s the first organized journey of this length for the alliance.

The Creek-a-thon will begin in Long Island City and end in Greenpoint. Along the way, they’ll hit Blissville, Maspeth, Ridgewood, East Williamsburg, Bushwick and Greenpoint.

The tour will include numerous bridges and all five tributaries that connect to the creek.

The guides for the 14-mile trek will be Mitch Waxman and Will Elkins of the Newtown Creek Alliance.

Along the way, they’ll take a break at Goodfellas Diner in Maspeth.

Interested attendees are encourages to wear study and comfortable closed-toed shoes, hats and sunglasses. Sunscreen and water bottles are also recommended.

To register for the Newtown Creek-a-thon, click here.