By RADHIKA VISWANATHAN
A young woman charged with killing her newborn infant was sentenced to 16 years in state prison on Thursday, marking the end of what the prosecution called a “really troubling case.”
Tiona Rodriguez, 21, walked into the Manhattan courtroom wearing prison khakis, round and thick glasses, and a large, silver cross dangling from her necklace. Simply shaking her head when Judge Thomas Farber asked if she had any words, she accepted her negotiated sentence: 16 years of incarceration plus five years under supervision.
“I don’t think anything more needs to be said on the record,” Farber said, referring to the widely publicized case, which began in 2015. “This is a horribly sad and tragic case.”
Rodriguez, who initially faced life in prison, agreed to a plea bargain that reduced the murder charge to
first-degree manslaughter. One of the most damning pieces of evidence was a text message that Rodriguez sent to a friend describing her plan to dispose of the tiny body: “dig a hole, put it somewhere, lol, then we go eat IHOP.”
The case received widespread media coverage due to its grisly details; in 2013, the then-17-year old mother, suspected of shoplifting from the Victoria’s Secret store in Herald Square, was stopped by a security guard. The guard found the shoplifted clothing in her bag—along with a dead newborn boy.
As the case unfolded, details about Rodriguez’s life revealed a troubled teenager who first got pregnant at 14 years old. A year after giving birth to her son, who is now four years old, she got pregnant again. It is still not clear what happened to her second child. The murdered baby was Rodriguez’s third pregnancy, all of which she struggled to keep hidden from her family.
She gave birth to the baby in her friend’s bathtub in October 2013 and killed him soon after, said the indictment. The cause of death was ruled as asphyxiation.
Rodriguez’s sole surviving child is currently living with her mother in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
By MICHELLE CUMMINGS
City Councilman Robert Cornegy Jr. on Thursday called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to take drastic action in the city ‘s public housing projects, helping to restore heat and hot water to the beleaguered buildings where January’s unusually severe cold snap caused many boilers to break down.
“The state could declare a state of emergency to allow for expedited bidding and contracting with outside companies,” said Cornegy at a press conference on the steps of City Hall.
Cornegy (D-Brooklyn) asked for a meeting with Cuomo to discuss allocating more state funds to the New York City Housing Authority to get boilers and heating systems repaired faster.
“I think there’s a partnership that’s absolutely necessary,” he said. “Listen, it’s not a zero-sum game where one entity takes control and the other stays on the sidelines. This monster is so large that it will take a collaborative effort.”
A colleague echoed the requests.
“The appalling state of disrepair in NYCHA buildings is a serious health and safety hazard for residents,” Councilman Rory Lancman said
Earlier this week in his State of the City address, Mayor Bill de Blasio also called for “addressing decades of neglect and the mistakes of the past” at the NYCHA.
And late last month de Blasio announced the city is investing $200 million to replace boilers and upgrade heating systems in 20 public housing projects, adding that the work would be done over the next four years.
This timeline is causing panic among public housing residents. “The lives of 400,000 New Yorkers hang in the balance,” said Councilman Mark Gjonaj. “A promise to upgrade boilers by 2022 will not do. We must act now!”
The substandard housing dilemma was dubbed by Councilman Gjonaj as “The tale of two tenants.” Gjonaj said.
“It is clear that NYCHA is in crisis and in need of a complete overhaul,” concluded Menchaca.
Photo Credit: Wiki Commons
By DYLAN CAMPBELL
Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña deplored Wednesday’s school shooting in Florida as “too normal” while on Thursday touring the Queens Vocational and Technical High School in honor of Career Exploration Month.
The Chancellor visited the Queens school to announce that 346 high schools, up from 253 in the prior year, are participating in Career Exploration Month, and visit with the school’s diverse students focused on technical skills. But the conversation shifted from the initiative to inspire students’ careers to how to protect their futures. In the context carnage in Broward County, another on a growing list, the question of what is being done to keep this violence from happening in New York City schools arose.
“Words cannot describe when you hear about another tragedy in one of our schools and to me this is really a wake-up call to the nation in terms of what we are going to do,” said Fariña. “But I really want to use this an opportunity to also reassure parents that in New York City we have done everything possible to mitigate that this doesn’t happen in our schools.”
The Chancellor added that all school principles and safety staff must review their safety guidelines and have a safety drill before March 15.
She said all safety officers are trained for an active shooter situation and principles also have instructions on how to handle active shooter scenarios. She said the schools encourage a “see something, do something” policy that urges students to anonymously report warning signs in a reasonable way and trying to educate families about how to get information in an emergency.
Fariña cited Stuyvesant High School’s ability to lockdown and notify parents within minutes during the recent terrorist attack in New York City where a rented Home Depot truck tore through lower Manhattan, injuring over a dozen. Two staff and two students were among the injured.
But in this climate of fear, she warned of making a scary situation even worse.
Fariña said she didn’t want the drills and preparation to add to the tension, but to “deescalate the fear.” She encouraged parents to bring the discussion of school shootings into the home.
She urged parents to “reassure the children that [we are] working with the NYPD … New York City schools are safe.”
“Encourage your children to talk about their fears and concerns and try to alleviate that across the dining room table,” she said. “This is not the time to escalate issues but to really try to have reasonable discussions with families to the degree that you can be reasonable given the tragedy that is.”
Fariña expressed hope that this incident and many others would finally ignite change.
“It is something, honestly, we as a country have to start looking at much more seriously because it’s become almost a point of it’s too normal and it’s gotta stop being normal, business as usual,” she said.
By RADHIKA VISWANATHAN
We are your friends.
That’s the message that some New York State politicians want to convey to their immigrant constituents.
“The immigrant community is under attack [due to] policies emanating from the federal government,” said Bronx Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda, at a press conference on the steps of City Hall on Thursday. “It seems like the current president wants to blame all the evils and wrongs that are happening in this country on immigrants.”
The assemblyman, along with other politicians and immigrant advocate groups, announced his sponsorship of three bills that would get Gov. Andrew Cuomo to take his support of undocumented immigrants to the next level.
“It is up to us as leaders that represent large portions of immigrant communities to fight back and make sure that our immigrants, our dreamers, our DACA recipients, our TPS (Temporary Protected Service) recipients receive protection under the law,” Sepulveda said.
In January, Cuomo passed executive orders allowing all New Yorkers to remain eligible for Medicaid regardless of immigration status. In addition, the state’s budget for 2019 also includes a DREAM Act, which would open the Excelsior scholarship to undocumented students. The newly proposed bills are designed to make these changes permanent state law and include a provision to allow undocumented New Yorkers to keep their drivers’ licenses.
The passage of this legislation is critical for undocumented New Yorkers because DACA was set to expire in 17 days.
“We are asking our colleagues in the senate and the assembly to vote for the bill… to push for these three pieces of legislation that our immigrant community needs,” said State Senator Marisol Alcantara. “That would send a strong message nationally that New York is an immigrant town and that we support immigrants.”
The assembly members were joined by immigrant advocate groups such as the Bronx Defenders, the New York Immigration Coalition, and the Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights.
Sinny Feliz, who works for the Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights, is a DACA recipients and a student at Hunter College; she said she would benefit most from the bill that would open the Excelsior scholarship to DACA recipients.
“I pay out of pocket for everything,” Feliz said of higher education. “It’s like a hole in your pocket. So this would greatly improve access to education.”
Statistics from the American Immigration Council, show that undocumented immigrants make up 17 percent of immigrants and 3.9 percent of the total population in New York State.
“New York is so different from any other state,” Feliz said. “From personal experiences, we have a whole soup of people from everywhere, so these bills are really important for New York. We have to set an example.”
This push in the New York State government comes on the heels of a similar effort on the federal stage; a bipartisan group of senators have been working on the passage of a “clean” DREAM act, which would allow for a path to citizenship as well as include provisions to improve border security. It remains uncertain whether the act would pass muster with the president.
“[President Donald Trump’s] administration may feel that they can strike fear into the hearts of immigrants and their children,” said Claudia Calhoon, the director of health policy at the New York Immigration Coalition. “But in New York, we’re going to hold the line on the gains that we have won over many, many decades.”
Photo by Radhika Viswanathan
By KURTIS RATTAY
Eleven Dreamers and 15 supporters embarked on a 250-mile “walk to stay home” from New York City to Washington D.C. on Thursday in response to the Trump Administration’s threat to end Obama-era protections for undocumented children.
The group met at Battery Park overlooking the cloud-covered Statue of Liberty to say why they are walking. The group demands Congress pass legislation to protect undocumented children and their families. They also denounced the rescinding of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals—commonly known as DACA—which protected so-called Dreamers from deportation.
Terminating DACA “put 800,000 lives in limbo,” said Hector Martinez, one of the Dreamers who will be walking to the Capitol. “The only crime we are guilty of is the crime of dreaming. And if for that crime my life is at stake I will fight, because I am not a criminal.”
The 15-day walk will pass through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland before reaching Washington D.C.. Along the way, the walkers will meet with community organizations, marches and rallies.
Supporters met the group with signs reading “True patriots condemn racism” and “DACA si! Trump no!.” For a few minutes one man heckled in the distance, pointing while forcing laughter.
“The Trump Administration has used the immigrant community as a tool to push its hateful agenda,” Martinez said while soon-to-be marchers held a banner and held their fists in the air. “But we as a community have stood with each other saying no, we do not believe what you are saying and we have taken to the streets.”
The group’s walk comes the day after a bipartisan group of senators agreed on a rewrite of immigration laws that would strengthen the nation’s borders while offering undocumented children a chance of citizenship.
The multi-state expedition was organized by the Seed Project to highlight the need for a “clean dream act” which would protect the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. The Seed Project fights for protection for all undocumented immigrants in the country.
“Our families are being torn apart,” Martinez said. “A clean dream is what will grant protection to undocumented youth and DACA recipients. But we will not take that at the expense of our parents.”
But the White House said President Trump would “veto any bill that doesn’t advance his common-sense immigration reforms.”
“What concerns me most is whether or not this will touch the hearts of those who haven’t decided that undocumented youth need a clean dream act, because that is what we need—permanent protection,” said Miriam Nunez in a press release. Nunez came to the United States with her parents when she was six months old.
The group—many sporting brand-new running shoes—stepped off in the early afternoon Thursday on the trek. The first stop was Newark.
By ALAIN GAILLARD
A police officer charged with murdering a schizophrenic woman in the bedroom of her apartment in the Bronx in Oct. 2016, was acquitted Thursday of all charges by a judge in a highly disputed bench trial.
Sgt. Hugh Barry’s decision to leave the verdict to the judge rather a jury, has paid off.
Judge Robert A. Neary said he based his decision on the sergeant’s right to self-defense, and the prosecution didn’t reach the level of beyond reasonable doubt to prove that Barry’s use of deadly force was unjustified.
The family’s lawyer Ricardo Aguirre speaking to reporters outside the courthouse deplored the judge’s decision. “This is a travesty for the mental health community and those mental health patients and their families,” said Aguirre. “Deborah Danner wasn’t hitting nobody; Deborah Danner was loud and cursing.”
The trial, which raised questions about the training of police to deal with mentally ill people, also had a racial undercurrent. Barry, a white police officer, arrived at the apartment in the Bronx, after security had called about Danner, an elderly black woman, who was screaming in the hallway.
“This is again a situation where we try not to say that color was involved, race was involved. It is,” said Aguirre. “Had Deborah Danner been a white 66-year-old, 233-pounds woman on Park Avenue, she would be alive today.” according to Aguirre, the family is mounting a civil trial against Barry.
During the trial, the prosecution tried to show that Barry did not follow proper protocol in dealing with an emotionally disturbed person and that the officer was too quick to use deadly force instead of taking time to better assess the situation and try to subdue the elderly woman.
Taking the stand on Tuesday, Barry contended that the elderly woman was too quick for him. “The last thing I want was for her to go into the room and get the scissors,” he said.
Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill condemned the shooting after it occurred, arguing that Sergeant Barry didn’t follow protocol.
Barry’s supporters fumed at the officials’ comments, arguing that political pressure forced the trial; The sergeant’s ordeal is likely not over as he was likely to face a departmental trial, that could end in his dismissal.
Also speaking to journalists outside the courtroom, the 9-year police veteran’s lawyer Andrew Quinn criticized de Blasio and O’Neil for their statements calling them “a rush to judgement”.
Bronx DA Darcel Clark, who made the iffy decision to mount the prosecution, said she was disappointed by the verdict but accepted the judge’s decision.
Photo of lawyer Ricardo Aguirre by Alain Gaillard
The submissions, which are expected to be personal stories on struggles with commuting in 100 words or less, are to be sent to the group’s Facebook page by Friday night every week.
The winners will be announced the following week, and will receive a chocolate bar with a metro card logo on it via mail.
Danny Pearlstein, the policy and communications director of The Riders Alliance, said the group will hold the competition until improvements are made towards the public transportation system.
“We are committed on doing this until we see a sustainable long-term fix in the state budget,” he said. “We hope that is the end of it when the state budget for the fiscal 2019 comes out, but that is remained to be seen.”
The group alleged during the press conference that New York’s subway system is 65 percent lower than any other system from major cities around the world, and the current service is slower than the one from 1950.
Signal problems, sick passengers, and mechanical problems are some of the main reasons subways are delayed every day, causing inconvenience to commuters.
Pearlstein said he had to ride his bike from his home to the press conference, which was by the corner of Canal Street and Sixth Avenue, because the A train was consistently delayed.
“We need a long-term plan because we have signals from the 1930s that barely get up in the morning, we have cars from the 1960s with serious door problems and other problems that break them down constantly,” he said.
The group will use media to get the message to Gov. Cuomo, as well as having legislative leaders to directly discuss about this issue in Albany.
“We had a busload of members in Albany on Monday where we met with dozens of legislators, we had a press conference in the state capital itself,” Pearlstein said.
“We are using all the avenues available to us to communicate with our government and say we need this problem solved.”
By RADHIKA VISWANATHAN & ALAIN GAILLARD
The police academy trainer who had trained the police sergeant charged with the murder of a schizophrenic woman testified Thursday that the defendant had followed protocol allowing officers to fire a weapon at an emotionally disturbed person in self-defense.
Lt. Robert Tillwitz, squad commander of recruit training, had trained the defendant, Sgt. Hugh Barry, from the summer of 2008 to January 2009. Tillwitz recalled an incident from one of their classes in which Barry was quizzed about how to respond if an emotionally disturbed person threatened his life.
The right answer in the training quiz was to shoot.
But Tillwitz also emphasized that the officer must first properly evaluate the situation. “Time is critical,” Tillwitz said. “Use time to assess the situation, to get to know the background, to speak to any family members.”
Though the witness was called by the prosecution his testimony appeared to bolster the defense case that the officer was in fear of his life when he pumped two bullets into the victim Deborah Danner, 66, as she clutched a baseball bat in her Bronx bedroom during the confrontation on October 18, 2016.
The prosecution arguses that Barry should have cooled the situation by withdrawing from the confrontation and waiting for a team of police experts trained in defusing violent threats from disturbed persons.
Barry has been on trial for murder and manslaughter since Jan. 30 in Bronx Supreme Court. His killing has sparked a controversial debate over police treatment of emotionally disturbed persons.
The trouble began when officers received calls about an emotionally disturbed person in the midst of a psychotic episode, holding a pair of scissors. Officers first convinced her to put the scissors down. She then retreated to her bedroom after Barry arrived and picked up a baseball bat, menacing the officer and prompting him to shoot.
Members of Danner’s family have filed a lawsuit against the city, arguing a violation of civil rights; they believe that all possible precautions were not taken before Barry decided to fire.
The case has a racial veneer because Barry is white and Danner was both black and mentally ill. As a result, Black Lives Matter activists have been protesting for Barry to be convicted since October 2016. Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner James O’Neill have denounced Barry, saying his actions did not follow police guidelines.
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By ARIANA MIGLINO Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez on Thursday branded domestic violence as a “silent killer”, adding that fatalities connected to the problem have held steady despite efforts to combat it. According to Gonzalez, there are more than 10,000 cases of domestic violence in Brooklyn every year. His comments came during a press conference held at the Manhattan Family Justice Center by First Lady of New York Chirlane McCray, announcing NYC Hope “the first of its kind” program to help victims gain access to information and resources. “Domestic violence is not a women’s issue, it’s an everyone issue,” said McCray, “Too long, too many members of our society have participated in a pattern on shaming the survivor and protecting the abuser.” NYC Hope is a web-based portal providing a hotline, addresses and phone numbers to the Family Justice Centers, neighborhood services which provides a search engine to narrow your borough, services needed, and the language you speak, and additional information to what domestic violence is defined as. Members of this organization have pinned domestic violence as an issue that has been pushed to the side in New York, which is why McCray as well as the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human services Dr. Herminia Palacio have pushed for this campaign. “This is a problem that often hides in plain sight, but it’s everywhere, and so many people still don’t talk about it.” Palacio said. “When we have a federal administration attacking immigrants, transgender individuals, and people of color, making so many people feel unsafe about stepping forward for help.” Across all five boroughs, at least 1/3 of the city shelter population have experienced domestic violence, according to McCray. These shelters do provide limited services, which is why McCray continues to advocate for a place for victims to go in times of crisis. Photo of Chirlane McCray by Ariana Miglino |
By THUYA KYAW
A reputed gang member charged with a 2015 murder in Jackson Heights was sentenced to 13 and a half years in prison on Thursday.
Raul Zamora, believed to be a member of the Sureños 13 gang, was first arrested in 2015 for second-degree murder, first-degree gang assault, and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in the death of 38-year-old Jorge Manzanarez in what police portrayed as a gang-related slaying.
The Sureños, Spanish for southerners, represent groups of loosely affiliated gangs mainly found in Southern California but also have a strong presence in the US military, with gang members found in both local and overseas bases.
Zamora, 36, pleaded guilty of all charges last week, and was also given five years of post-release supervision.
The incident occurred on May 5, 2015 and according to the criminal complaint, Zamora along with two other men went up to Manzanarez in the corner of 93rd Street and Roosevelt Avenue and shot him once in the chest.
Police believe the shooting was gang-related and the two groups had been having verbal fights prior to the incident.
However, Zamora’s girlfriend Stephanie Cortez claimed in the Queens courthouse that he wasn’t the one who shot Manzanarez, and backs her claim with a video that shows someone, whom she believes is Zamora, hanging out at a bakery with two other men during the time of shooting
“It’s not fair, I know for a fact he didn’t do it,” Cortez said regarding her boyfriend’s sentence. “We paid the lawyer money for nothing, he didn’t even present the evidence.”
