Buffalo Crime Reports

[Dr Funky]

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...11/2055024.asp

Police hand out fliers seeking help in homicide



Buffalo homicide investigators Tuesday were handing out fliers seeking the public's help to solve the August slaying of a Niagara Falls man.
Charles T. Cartwright Jr., 20, of 19th Street, Niagara Falls, was shot to death on Aug. 20 at about 9 p.m. on Verdun Avenue near North Fillmore Avenue. Police said the man was shot several times by another man after the two became involved in a heated argument.

"They don't have any leads to follow," Chief of Detectives Dennis J. Richards said. "You work the case as much as you can, and right now there's no motive. Apparently there was an argument and shots rang out."

Richards said anyone with information is encouraged to contact homicide detectives at 851-4466 or the Buffalo Police Confidential Tip Line at 847-2255.

Tuesday, homicide investigators handed out about 50 fliers about the Cartwright case in the neighborhood around the murder scene.


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^^^^That dude looks familiar I think I went to high school with him...

Damn

[Dr Funky]

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...11/1068516.asp

Youth charged after shots are fired at police

2 others arrested on city's East Side

By VANESSA THOMAS
News Staff Reporter
10/11/2006

A 17-year-old youth has been charged with attempted murder after two shots were fired at two undercover narcotics detectives Monday night at Bailey and Minnesota avenues.
Jibreel F. Williams, of Greenfield Street, is accused of firing the shots that narrowly missed Detectives Edward Niemann and Timothy Mulhern. The plain-clothes detectives did not return fire, and no one was injured.

The shooting marks the second time in about a month that Buffalo police officers have dodged gunfire.

On Aug. 31, police said Basil S. Payne, 23, of East Amherst Street, fired a single shot at two officers in Central Park Plaza on East Amherst Street as he fled. Officers Corey Krug and David Acosta did not return fire and captured Payne after a foot chase.

"Obviously, they were in fear for their lives," Chief of Detectives Dennis J. Richards said of Niemann and Mulhern. "When shots are fired, there's a potential for anyone to be hurt, especially with officers being the target."

"This once again demonstrates the dangers of police work," he said. "The officers are just out there doing their jobs and trying to rid the streets of narcotics."

Police said the detectives, who were conducting a narcotics investigation, spotted a group of men at Bailey and Minnesota at about 10 p.m.

The detectives turned on the emergency flashing lights on their unmarked car and turned west onto Minnesota.

"Jibreel was among those group of males on the corner. As the car turned the corner onto Minnesota, Jibreel fired one shot," Richards said. "And as [the detectives] exited their unmarked vehicle, he fired a second shot."

The detectives chased the gunman, who, at times during the pursuit, pointed a silver handgun at them.

Two other men who had been in the group on the corner also fled. After a brief chase involving Northeast District officers called in as backup, Narcotics Lt. Thomas Lyon and Detective Sgt. Thomas Vivian arrested Williams and the other two.

Williams has been charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count each of criminal possession of a weapon and obstructing governmental administration. Police said they found a .22-caliber semiautomatic handgun in the rear yard at the Minnesota Avenue home where he was apprehended.

Clayton Williams, 17, of East Ferry Street and Lisbon Avenue, was charged with obstructing governmental administration and unlawful possession of marijuana after police reported finding three bags of the drug in his possession.

Philip Smith, 18, with addresses on South Division Street and Minnesota Avenue, was charged with obstructing governmental administration.

Police records show Jibreel Williams had been arrested April 23 on charges of using a loaded gun in a robbery.

That case was sent to a grand jury May 22, and City Judge James A.W. McLeod released Williams on his own recognizance, according to court officials.

[Dr Funky]

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...11/1060833.asp

Ecstasy seized, Bosnian charged

A man from Bosnia who has been living in Canada faces felony charges in one of the largest seizures of Ecstasy pills ever made in Western New York.
Vedran Zavisic, 25, appeared Tuesday in U.S. District Court on allegations of attempting to smuggle almost 103,000 pills Monday afternoon over the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge.

"I believe it's one of the three largest seizures of Ecstasy pills we've ever seen in this area," said Peter Smith, an Immigration and Customs Investigations supervisor in the Homeland Security Department.

"These pills are selling for $10 to $15 each on the street, which puts the street value for this stash at well over $1 million."

A bridge inspector's suspicions prompted agents to search the 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix that Zavisic was driving. The pills were found in plastic bags, hidden inside a spare tire, Smith said.

About nine hours earlier, agents at the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls seized 20,770 Ecstasy pills in a car driven by a woman from Peru, who has also been staying in Canada. The pills were hidden under the back seat and under the center console of the car, agents said.

Smith said the driver, Rosario San Martin-Reyes, 40, and her passenger, Magnolia Montenegro-Landaveri, 34, also of Peru, were charged with federal felony counts of smuggling and drug possession. Zavisic faces the same charges.

"We've had a lot of major drug seizures at the bridges lately, and I think it shows that the inspectors are doing an outstanding job," Smith said.

The U.S. attorney's office presented the cases before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder Jr. late Tuesday afternoon.

[Dr Funky]

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...11/1071527.asp

Shooting outside Central Library scatters crowd
By T.J. PIGNATARO
News Staff Reporter
10/11/2006

About 40 people standing outside Central Library ducked rush-hour gunfire Tuesday that erupted on the street in front of them.
At least four 9 mm rounds were fired from a van full of youths at a nearby car at about 4:30 p.m. in the 400 block of Washington Street, Buffalo police reported. Two teenage males from the city's Fruit Belt were arrested a short time later; two others remain at large. Police recovered two long guns from their van. No injuries were reported.

"It's absolutely an isolated incident," said Dennis J. Richards, chief of detectives. "It's a shame that youth as young as 16 and 17 years old are engaging in firefights in broad daylight."

Arrested were Alexander Watkins, 17, of Peach Street, the driver of the van, and Marcus D. Prewitt, 16, of Mulberry Street, a passenger in the van. Both were charged with two counts of felony weapons possession and felony reckless endangerment. Watkins was also charged with resisting arrest.

Richards said police quickly responded to the call of shots fired in the vicinity of the library, received descriptions of the vehicles involved and, within minutes, tracked down Watkins' van on Byrd Way, near William Street and Jefferson Avenue.

Watkins and Prewitt were apprehended. Two other back-seat passengers fled the van on foot and remained at large late Tuesday.

Found inside the van were a .22-caliber long rifle loaded with one round and a 12-gauge Mossberg shotgun also loaded with one round, Richards said. The 9 mm handgun used to fire the shots was not recovered. Police did find four spent shell casings at the scene.

It was unclear who in the van fired the shots. The youths in the van were firing at a nearby green Chevrolet Malibu. The motive for the shooting was not known, and apparently no one was struck by the gunfire. The Malibu had not been found as of late Tuesday evening.

The case was pieced together by Central District Lt. Timothy Ring and Officers Edmond Labby, Leo McGrath, William Rieman and John Garcia.

Police were following up on leads late Tuesday in an effort to track down the other two men involved in the shooting as well as the 9 mm handgun and the occupants of the Malibu, Richards said.

[Linda_D]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!

What? You think that maybe, just maybe, the city ought to try to provide some safety for its citizens? Where's the glory in that?

[Dr Funky]

What? You think that maybe, just maybe, the city ought to try to provide some safety for its citizens? Where's the glory in that?

What does that have to do with a skyway?

No diss intended....

[Linda_D]

What does that have to do with a skyway?

No diss intended....

Just that removing the Skyway gets so much publicity and is a personal crusade for our local congressman (and others) while something that might really improve life for city residents -- cutting down on the number of shootings -- hardly gets discussed.

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

Just that removing the Skyway gets so much publicity and is a personal crusade for our local congressman (and others) while something that might really improve life for city residents -- cutting down on the number of shootings -- hardly gets discussed.

Just an FYI my little bumpkin friend from Jamestown. Each political office has responsibilities. Higgins is to represent the residents of WNY in DC. His job is to secure funding for local projects and represent the area on a Federal level. He has no say in LOCAL issues like police and public safety. Comparing the skyway to local crime makes you look silly. Both need to be corrected and addressed. You do not have to choose one or the other. Higgins is at least DOING SOMETHING, regardless if you like what he is doing. Can't say the same for LOCAL politicians.

[Dr Funky]

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...12/6009474.asp

Molestations bring 15-year prison term

10/12/2006

Scott Jirdon was ordered Wednesday to spend the next 15 years in prison for what State Supreme Court Justice Deborah A. Haendiges called his "despicable" molestations of two Buffalo boys over the past four years.
Jirdon, 31, apologized after a woman described as a female relative of the two boys, both under 15, told the judge he can "never" be forgiven for what he did to the young victims.

Jirdon, who in an unrelated incident was shot five times during a West Side domestic incident ten years ago, was allowed to plead guilty to attempted criminal sexual act and attempted sodomy charges before trial, said Scott F. Riordan, deputy chief of the Erie County District Attorney's Sexual Offense Unit.

Riordan said Jirdon, of Delaware Avenue, began molesting the older boy four years ago and was arrested after he began molesting the younger boy in March.

Jirdon was arrested after the younger boy complained to his mother about pains and she took him to a hospital. Doctors there found the boy was suffering sodomy-related injuries. Police were called and Jirdon was quickly arrested, the prosecutor said

[Dr Funky]

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...12/2009483.asp

Grover Cleveland teacher attacked, robbed of car

10/12/2006

A Grover Cleveland High School teacher was attacked and her car was stolen at about 8:15 a.m. Wednesday in the 300 block of 14th Street, Buffalo police said.
Police said the teacher was getting out of her car when a male in his late teens or early 20s approached her and said, "Give me your keys." The assailant then hit the woman in the head and face with a long wooden stick, police said. He drove away in her 1997 Ford Taurus on 14th Street toward Richmond Avenue.

The teacher was taken to Sisters Hospital for treatment. The extent of her injuries was not known.

Witnesses are encouraged to contact Central District detectives at 851-4403.

[Dr Funky]

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...14/4030025.asp

Man who fled police faces drug, gun charges

10/14/2006

Officers shot at a Winspear Avenue man who pulled a gun out of his waistband early Friday while being chased on Leroy Avenue, Buffalo police said.
Lease E. Daniels, 21, was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of marijuana, obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest.

Northeast District Officers Wendy Collier and Ron Ammerman approached Daniels shortly after midnight to question him about a recent homicide. Daniels panicked and ran, police said, and began to pull a gun from his waistband.

Ammerman fired one round, police said, and Daniels threw down his gun and had to be subdued.

The .38-caliber handgun was loaded with five rounds, police said, adding that they also recovered nine bags of crack cocaine and 19 bags of marijuana.

[Dr Funky]

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...17/4071625.asp

Autopsy finds woman was strangled last week

10/17/2006

A secondary autopsy by the Erie County medical examiner determined that a Moselle Street woman who died last week was strangled, Buffalo police reported Monday.
Marlene Wirt, 60, of 618 Moselle St., is the 63rd homicide victim in the city this year.

Wirt was found dead at about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday inside her home. The medical examiner performed an initial autopsy and then followed it with a secondary autopsy to make the determination, said to Dennis J. Richards, chief of detectives.

Homicide detectives responded to the report of Wirt found dead at her home last week, but it wasn't immediately clear she had been slain, Richards said. Homicide detectives were following up on leads in the case.

Police said they had no motive for Wirt's death.

There were 56 homicides in Buffalo in all of 2005

[Dr Funky]

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...17/6071628.asp

Burglars hit McDonald's that was without power

10/17/2006

A Grider Street McDonald's that lost power in last week's storm was struck by burglars who pried open a drive-through window early Saturday morning, according to Buffalo police.
Representatives from the restaurant, at 262 Grider St., told police that sometime before 8 a.m. Saturday, burglars entered through the drive-through window and stole three charity boxes filled with cash.

[Dr Funky]

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...18/7011334.asp

Suspect allegedly robbed man, put gun to his head

10/18/2006

A Seventh Street man faces robbery, menacing and weapons possession charges after he allegedly put a gun to the head of another man and demanded money early Tuesday on Prospect Avenue, Buffalo police reported.
Jimmarlan Sessions, 23, is accused of grabbing the victim by the front of his jacket at about 3:30 a.m. He demanded money and was handed $25. At that point he allegedly pulled out a handgun and put it to the victim's head.

The victim fled to Niagara and Carolina streets and flagged down a Buffalo police officer.

Sessions was tracked down at Niagara and Maryland streets and apprehended.

[Dr Funky]

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...18/5011334.asp

Store owner says looters wiped him out

10/18/2006

Looters cut a large hole into a University District clothing store that was without power early Tuesday morning and "cleaned out" the inventory there, according to the store owner.
Tony Hearse, owner of Solo Main Street Fashions at 3083 Main St., told police that sometime between midnight and 10:30 a.m., burglars entered the store by cutting a hole through a rear apartment into the store front.

The took 12 leather football jackets, 40 pairs of sneakers, 26 sweat suits, 50 pairs of jeans, a laptop computer, flat-screen monitor and a portable stereo set with speakers, according to police.

"I'm hurt," Hearse said. "I went and got a loan out on my mortgage to go out and get these clothes."

Hearse said he'd planned a "big grand re-opening" for Saturday but now has no stock.

"I just spent $21,000 in Las Vegas to get the merchandise," Hearse said. "They cleaned me out. I have no insurance. This hurt me real bad."

Hearse said he installed a camera and other security measures to protect against theft, but they were not functioning because of the power outage.