L.E.S. man gunned down
An unknown gunman shot and killed a man early on Nov. 10 at Smith Houses on the Lower East Side.
George Taliferro, 30, a Smith Houses resident, was found by authorities around 4:15 a.m. on the ground outside 15 St. James Pl., unconscious and with three bullet wounds in his torso. Police had responded to the scene moments after the gunshots were fired and a witness called 911. Taliferro was taken to New York Downtown Hospital and was pronounced dead on arrival, police said.
There have been no arrests made yet, and the investigation is still ongoing, police said.
Semi-auto shooter gets 22 years
A man convicted of shooting and wounding three people on the Lower East Side in 2010 has been sentenced to 22 years in prison, Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance announced on Nov. 7.
Mario Rodriguez, 25, was found guilty of second degree attempted murder, first degree assault, criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment in May.
Around 8:45 p.m. on Oct. 26, 2010, Rodriguez was arguing with another man in front of 195 Stanton St. when Rodriguez pulled out a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and began firing at him, according to court documents. The man was shot in the torso, and two bystanders — a 44-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman — were also struck by Rodriguez’s bullets, the D.A. said.
After the attack Rodriguez fled to Jersey City, but he was later arrested there by officers from the Police Department’s Seventh Precinct Detective Squad.
In addition to the prison sentence, Rodriguez will face five years of post-release supervision, the D.A. said.
Subway sleeper thefts
The First Precinct reported two thefts on Downtown subway trains last week, but only one of the perps got away.
On Nov. 3, a 21-year-old man told police that, after a long night of drinking in Harlem, he got on a southbound 1 train at 137th St., around 5:30 a.m. The man apparently fell asleep and didn’t wake up until the train had hit its last stop at South Ferry, at which time he realized that his wallet and cell phone were gone. He couldn’t give a description of any possible suspects.
And around 3:30 a.m. on Nov. 9, a couple of cops were riding a northbound E train out of the Chambers St. station when they spotted Johnie Washington, 65, reaching into the jacket pocket of a sleeping passenger. Washington allegedly snatched the sleeping man’s cell phone, but when he looked up and saw the officers, he placed the phone back down and walked off the train, police said.
The officers weren’t fooled, and they apprehended Washington on the subway platform. He was charged with grand larceny.
Breaking news: We’ve been robbed!
An opportunistic burglar made off with nearly $2,500 worth of electronics equipment from a TV news truck on Oct. 25, police said.
The driver of the Fox 5 broadcasting truck told cops that he parked near the corner of Exchange Pl. and Broad St. at around 9:30 a.m., and was busy working when the unknown perp apparently entered through the vehicle’s unlocked side door. The burglar reportedly stole camera cables, memory cards and other electronics right out from under the newsman’s nose.
The Fox employee told cops that he never got a good look at the perp, and couldn’t provide a description.
—Sam Spokony
