MAYOR ADAMS’ STATEMENT ON THE ARREST OF A SUSPECT FOR THE MURDER OF AZSIA JOHNSON

 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams tonight released the following statement after the New York City Police Department (NYPD) arrested a suspect for the murder of Azsia Johnson, a 20-year-old woman killed Wednesday night on the Upper East Side:

 

“Azsia Johnson’s family is hurting, they deserve justice, and we will deliver it.

 

“I am relieved to report to New Yorkers that we have captured the individual who we believe murdered this young woman as she walked with her baby. I’d like to applaud the NYPD for their valiant efforts to track down this alleged killer.

 

“All New Yorkers stand with the Johnson family in this difficult time.”

 

49th Precinct Council Meeting June Meeting

The 49th Precinct Council meets on the last Tuesday of the month normally, but due to the June 28th primary election the meeting was moved to Wednesday June 29th. The meeting was held at the Destination Tomorrow building located at 2134 Barnes Avenue the home of the Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association. 49th Precinct Council President Joe Thompson opened the meeting thanking the PPNA for hosting the meeting. 

Precinct Commander Captain Gareth Kentish spoke about the rising crime rate in New York City, the Bronx, and in the 49th Precinct. He said that Major crime (murder and rape) was down, however it was the other crimes that have led the way to an increase in total crime. Captain Kentish said that Grand Larceny and GLA (stolen cars), were up 45% and 150% respectively for the 28 day reporting period ending June 26, 2022. Crime Prevention Officer Tyrone Mederos warned not to leave your cars running as you go in for that cup of coffee or something to go. 

President Thompson presented a special award to PPNA retiring President Edith Blitzer, the citizen of the month award and the cop of the month award were presented. Neighborhood reports and questions from speakers who signed up were taken by the captain who answered one question by saying that his officers were going from one priority call to another, and you may have to wait for a patrol car in a non-emergency situation. 

49th Precinct council Executive Board (L - R) Corresponding Secretary Phyllis Nastasio, Recording Secretary Grace Lovaglio, Community Affairs Officer Jay Sturdivant, Captain Gareth Kentish, President Joe Thompson (standing), Vice-President Hazel Miura, and Treasurer Elio Morales.

Ms. Edith Blitzer thanks the council for their recognition of her hard work guiding the PPNA.

Captain Kentish answers questions from the side of the room in front of the audience.

Crime Prevention Officer Tyrone Mederos goes over some new scams, and warns people not to leave their car running unattended. 

NCO Sergeant Hines introduces his NCO officers from the area.

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - JULY 1, 2022

 

Governor Encourages New Yorkers to Keep Using the Tools to Protect Against and Treat COVID-19: Vaccines, Boosters, Testing, and Treatment    

10 Statewide Deaths Reported Yesterday 

 IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to the holiday, HERDS data collection from health care facilities will be paused from Saturday, July 2 through Monday, July 4. Data from Friday, July 1 will be reported on Tuesday, July 5. Further, four days of cumulative data—from July 2 to July 5—will be reported on Wednesday, June 6. As a result, some data may appear higher than recent trends. 

NOTE: Updates to the CDC's cumulative death data files have been paused since June 6, 2022, as the CDC upgrades its system. As of June 28, 2022, CDC reporting has not yet resumed. Any questions about this should be directed to the CDC. During this time, total deaths and new daily deaths reported through HERDS will continue as normal.   

Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19. 

"As New Yorkers travel to spend Fourth of July weekend with family and friends, I encourage everyone to continue to exercise caution and lean on the tools we know that protect us from COVID-19," Governor Hochul said. "Getting vaccinated, staying up-to-date on your boosters, and testing if you're experiencing symptoms, are our best defenses. If you do end up testing positive, talk to your doctor about available treatments." 

Today's data is summarized briefly below:    

• Cases Per 100k - 34.46 
• 7-Day Average Cases Per 100k - 28.02 
• Test Results Reported - 83,358 
• Total Positive - 6,734 
• Percent Positive - 7.62%**   
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive - 6.37%** 
• Patient Hospitalization - 1,987 (-3) 
• Patients Newly Admitted - 343 
• Patients in ICU - 192 (0) 
• Patients in ICU with Intubation - 65 (-12) 
• Total Discharges - 316,135 (+341) 
• New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 10 
• Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 56,570 

** Due to the test reporting policy change by the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and several other factors, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data -- not percent positivity.   

The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only.     

Important Note: Effective Monday, April 4, the federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is no longer requiring testing facilities that use COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to report negative results. As a result, New York State's percent positive metric will be computed using only lab-reported PCR results. Positive antigen tests will still be reported to New York State and reporting of new daily cases and cases per 100k will continue to include both PCR and antigen tests. Due to this change and other factors, including changes in testing practices, the most reliable metric to measure virus impact on a community is the case per 100,000 data -- not percent positivity.   

• Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 72,079 

This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.       

NOTE: Vaccine data is now updated weekly on Fridays to align with CDC's updated data refresh schedule. For additional information on COVID-19 Vaccination Data provided by CDC, see https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-total-admin-rate-total.   

• Total vaccine doses administered - 39,360,285 
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 14,733 
• Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 87,480 
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 92.8%   
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 84.3%   
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 95.0%   
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 87.8%   
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 84.3%   
• Percent of New Yorkers ages 12-17 with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 74.1%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 82.4%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 74.7%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 91.1%   
• Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 77.8%   

Each New York City borough's 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days is as follows **:       

Borough	Tuesday, June 28, 2022	Wednesday, June 29, 2022	Thursday, June 30, 2022
Bronx	5.44%	6.20%	7.50%
Kings	3.00%	3.90%	4.35%
New York	6.80%	7.07%	7.34%
Queens	7.45%	8.04%	8.95%
Richmond	6.19%	7.13%	7.92%

Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation Opens Investigation Into Civilian Death in Franklin County

 

The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) has opened an investigation into the death of Joshua De’Miguel Kavota, who died on June 29, 2022, following an encounter with members of the Saranac Lake Police Department.

On the morning of June 29, 2022, two members of the Saranac Lake Police Department responded to a report of an alleged stabbing by Mr. Kavota. The officers found Mr. Kavota outside a shop on Bloomingdale Avenue and asked him if he had a knife. Mr. Kavota allegedly came at one of the officers with a knife, and the other officer shot Mr. Kavota. Mr. Kavota was taken to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Officers recovered a knife at the scene.

Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person, by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.

These are preliminary facts and subject to change. 

Updated Consumer Alert: The New York State Division of Consumer Protection Offers New Yorkers Safety Tips for a Safe 4th of July

4^th of July Weekend Typically Sees a Rise in Firework Related Injuries and Increase in Drunk Driving Cases 

Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez Urges New Yorkers to Celebrate Safely and Use Extreme Caution with Fireworks and Family Gatherings  

The New York State Division of Consumer Protection (DCP) reminds New Yorkers to keep safe while celebrating Independence Day. As we celebrate this annual tradition with festivities ranging from fireworks, picnics, parades, family gatherings and barbecues, let’s also remember basic safety tips that apply to everyone.

“I know many New Yorkers are eager to celebrate Independence Day this year, but we must ensure our celebrations are safe and fun,” said New York State, Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez who oversees the NYS Division of Consumer Protection. “Around this holiday, the biggest threats to safety are very close to home. The 4th of July is one of the holidays with the highest number of accidents. We want to make sure the time-honored holiday tradition of fireworks is done safely by following basic tips.”

“Summertime, and especially the Fourth of July, are times of celebration and togetherness, but when fireworks and sparkling devices are added to the party, it can lead to very serious injuries for those involved,” New York State Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said. "The best way to stay safe this Fourth of July is to leave the fireworks to the professionals, but if you plan on using sparkling devices, please make sure you do so as safely as possible.”

Around the 4^th of July, there are a lot of fire-related accidents. Every year, thousands of people — most of them children, teens and young adults — are injured while using fireworks. Most of these injuries happen in the month around the 4^th of July. The Consumer Product Safety Commission found that nationally nearly half of the fireworks-related injuries were to people younger than 20 years of age.

Additionally, the 4^th of July is one of the most dangerous holidays to be on the road. According to the National Traffic Safety Administration, dates around this holiday, sadly, often see an increase in impaired driving crashes. Drunk driving isn’t the only risky behavior causing crashes on our roads; drug-impaired and distracted driving are issues too. Many people recognize that driving under the influence is dangerous.  However, many people fail to recognize the danger of driving while distracted, especially if they try to talk or text on a cell phone. 

NYS Division of Consumer Protection wants you to enjoy a safe holiday and offers these tips you can follow:

FIREWORKS - WHAT’S LEGAL AND WHAT’S NOT IN NEW YORK STATE:

What’s Legal:                                                  

• Sale of sparkling devices by registered sellers from June 1 until July 5 annually. Sparkling devices are ground-based or handheld sparking devices that produce a shower of colored sparks or colored flame, crackling or whistling noise and smoke. They do not launch into the air.
• Users must be 18 years or older to use sparkling devices.

What’s Not Legal:

• Sparkling devices are illegal in New York City and the following counties: Albany, Bronx, Columbia, Kings, Nassau, New York, Orange (prohibited in the Cities of Middletown and Newburgh only), Queens, Richmond, Schenectady, Suffolk, Warren and Westchester. The list of counties that prohibit the sale and possession of sparkling devices is ever changing, thus to be sure your compliant please check with your local county sheriff’s office.
• Any other types of fireworks including firecrackers, bottle rockets, roman candles, spinners, and aerial devices are illegal statewide. 

TIPS TO CELEBRATE SAFELY:

Tips for Using Sparkling Devices Safely:

• Children and Sparklers are a Dangerous Combination. Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks, including sparklers. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This is hot enough to melt some metals.
• Never throw or point fireworks toward people, animals, vehicles, structures or flammable materials. Always follow the instructions on the packaging.
• Keep a supply of water close by as a precaution.
• Make sure the person lighting fireworks always wears eye protection.
• Light only one firework at a time and never attempt to relight "a dud."
• Store fireworks in a cool, dry place away from children and pets.
• If you are impaired by alcohol, don’t use fireworks.

Tips for Driving Safely:

• Avoid driving while impaired. If you are driving this July 4th, make sure to watch out for others as they may not be sober.
• If you plan to drink, make a plan ahead of time for a sober ride home.
• A sober driver is one who does not drink at all, not the one who has had the least to drink from a group of people. Even if you’ve had only one drink, let someone who hasn’t been drinking take you home.
• If you’re hosting a 4th of July gathering, help the designated drivers out by making sure there are plenty of non-alcoholic beverages.

To learn more about consumer safety, or to file a marketplace consumer complaint against a business or individual, please contact the Division’s Consumer Helpline at (800) 697-1220 or visit its website at www.dos.ny.gov/consumerprotection. Follow the Division of Consumer Protection on social media at Twitter: @NYSConsumer and Facebook: www.facebook.com/nysconsumer.