Police Blotter: April 19, 2017

The late Court of Appeals Judge . | NEW YORK STATE UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM — The late Court of Appeals Judge Sheila Abdus-Salaam . | NEW YORK STATE UNIFIED COURT SYSTEM

DOA:
JUDGE ON NYS’ HIGHEST COURT FOUND DEAD
(26th Precinct)
On April 12 at around 1:45 p.m., police found Sheila Abdus-Salaam, the first black woman appointed to the New York Court of Appeals, the state’s highest bench, floating in the Hudson River around West 132nd Street. According to police, the 65-year-old Abdus-Salaam, named to the high court in 2013, was removed from the water and declared dead by EMS on the scene. The Daily News reported that police sources believe that depression may have led the judge to commit suicide. On April 18, police deemed Abdus-Salaam’s death “suspicious” and are seeking information from those who may have interacted with her in the days prior to her death.

BURGLARY:
AN EYE FOR EXPENSIVE
(19th Precinct)
The police arrested 55-year-old James Leon, an East Harlem resident, on April 6 and charged him with 6 counts of burglary after an incident on March 21 earlier reported in Manhattan Express in which two Hispanic males were wanted for burglarizing an apartment on East 91st Street, removing an Apple laptop, a Louis Vuitton bag, a watch, jewelry, an Apple MacBook, Beats headphones, and a check book. Police said the investigation is ongoing.

BANK ROBBERY:
BALD BANDIT
(19th Precinct)
A man is wanted for robbing a Chase Bank at 126 East 86th Street on April 10 at around 2:45 p.m., police said. According to police, a male suspect entered the bank and passed a note to the teller demanding money. After the teller complied, the man was able to make off with an undetermined amount of cash and fled in an unknown direction.

Police released photos of the suspect, whom they describe as a black male, between 45 and 50 years old, 6’, bald, and last seen wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans.

BANK ROBBERY:
FOILED AFTER THE FOURTH
(Midtown South Precinct)
Police have arrested Queens resident Abdullahi Shuaibu and charged him with two counts of robbery and two counts of attempted robbery for a series of bank robberies throughout Manhattan. Manhattan Express reported on the first three of the robberies, and, since then, police said that Shuaibu continued his spree on April 17 at around 2:30 p.m. when he entered an HSBC Bank at 617 Third Avenue, between East 39th and 40th Streets, and followed the pattern of the earlier incidents. Police said Shuaibu tried to get the teller to read the note that demanded money while simulating a gun in his jacket, but was unsuccessful and left the bank empty-handed.

ASSAULT:
TEENS NOT TOYING AROUND
(24th Precinct)
Police are looking for a man who fired a gun at a 12-year-old boy on April 11 at around 2:15 p.m. outside 927 Columbus Avenue, between West 105th and 106th Streets. According to police, the man shot at the boy after exchanging words and fled north on Columbus Avenue afterwards. Police added that no one was injured in the incident.

Police released a photo and video of the suspect, whom they describe as a black male, 5’9”, and last seen wearing a black shirt and blue shorts.

ROBBERY:
AIMING FOR THE CELLS
(19th Precinct)
Police are looking for two men wanted for robbing a Metro PCS store at 1760 First Avenue, between East 91st and 92nd Streets. According to police, the two suspects struck on April 13 at around 12:30 p.m., when one man displayed a gun and locked two employees in the store’s bathroom in the back. As one of the suspects acted as lookout, the other emptied the store’s cash box of approximately $2,000, police said. The suspects fled in an unknown direction and there were no injuries, according to police.