Murder trial
Jeromie Cancel, 24, went on trial Fri., Nov. 5 for the Aug. 30, 2008 murder of Kevin Pravia, 19, an honors student at the Lubin School of Business of Pace University, in Pravia’s apartment in Chelsea.
Pravia’s mother, Paula, wept on the witness stand last week as she told the jury that her son had moved into his apartment at 239 W. 15th St. shortly before the grisly murder. Cancel encountered Pravia near Union Sq. Park and went with him to his apartment where he used an electric cord to garrote the victim who was asleep at the time, according to the charges. Pravia had last been seen by friends getting into a cab at Gold and Fulton Sts. after a party.
Cancel was arrested three days later after burglarizing his father’s home in Queens and told police how he killed Pravia while watching a horror film. Cancel’s lawyer, Michael Alperstein, failed to have the confession tossed out but he told jurors that his client was mentally ill and had tried suicide as a child.
Heroin, crack raid
Police raided an apartment at 189 Allen St. and arrested Luis Chevres, 40, and Maria Zabala at 10 p.m. Tues., Nov. 2 and charged them with possession of heroin and crack cocaine and using paraphernalia to process the drugs for sale. When police entered the Hernandez Houses complex at Stanton St. they saw 229 glassines of heroin, a fist-size rock of crack, empty glassine bags and a scale along with other paraphernalia flying out the window, according to the charges filed with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. Chavres admitted throwing the heroin out the window, saying, “I don’t know how much I threw out the window,” according to the court papers. Neighbors said police had to escort some residents who were returning to their apartments while the warrant raid was underway.
Bank scammer
Tracy King, 31, a former Chase Bank assistant manager, was arrested Fri., Nov. 5, and charged with grand larceny and identity theft in connection with the Sept. 9 theft of $177,000 from customer accounts at Chase Bank headquarters on Liberty and William Sts. Bank officials became suspicious of King’s activity after examining log books at the branch, according to the complaint filed with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. King was being held in lieu of $15,000 cash bail or $75,000 bond pending a Dec. 10 court appearance.
Dirty dealing
A Three-card Monte dealer who worked sidewalk locations on Broadway near Prince St. was arrested Saturday afternoon, Oct. 30, for snatching money from the hands of victims, police said. Keith Jackson, 54, urged victims to step closer to his table by saying, “It’s easy, you’ll win. You just need to show me your money,” police said. Keith grabbed a $100 bill from one victim, $80 from another and $500 from a third victim, according to the complaint filed with the Manhattan District Attorney.
Bank robbery arrest
Police arrested Raul Jimenez, 30, on Mon., Nov. 1 and charged him with the Oct. 29 hold-up of the Chase Bank branch at 104 Delancey St. at Ludlow St. Jimenez, wearing a hoodie and a black baseball cap was recorded on a surveillance tape entering the bank around 11:31 a.m., presenting a note to a teller, receiving money and making off with it, according to the charges, The note said, “Give me $20,000 in hundreds and don’t give me bait money. Don’t draw attention to yourself because I’ll start shooting,” the charges say. Jimenez admitted to police when he was arrested that it was he who robbed the bank.
— Albert Amateau
