Regional Briefs – April 20, 2015

Two Men Found Dead at Boro Park Train Tracks

BROOKLYN – The bodies of two men were found Thursday night at the freight train tracks near 67th Street and 15th Avenue in Boro Park, The Associated Press reported. No names were released, but homeless people often congregate in the area.

Patz Jury Asks to View Evidence as Verdict Nears

NEW YORK – The jury deliberating in the murder trial of 6-year-old Etan Patz asked Friday to review suspect Pedro Hernandez’s confession as they near a verdict in the 1979 mystery, The Associated Press reported. Deliberations resume on Monday.

Two Escape Serious Injury When Car Struck by Train

ELMWOOD PARK, N.J. – Two people were injured when the car they were in was struck by a train early Sunday morning, The Record reported. The driver tried to go around the lowered warning gates blocking the Midland Avenue crossing when the car was struck by a New York-bound NJ Transit train. Both were hospitalized for non life-threatening injuries.

Police Searching Home Discover Small Alligator

LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Police executing a search warrant Thursday made an unexpected discovery: a small alligator, The Associated Press reported. The gator appeared to be in good health but whoever owned it could face possible fines of up to $25,000.

Stolen Phone’s Tracking Device Leads to Arrest

HICKSVILLE, N.Y. – A thief who robbed a Long Island cellphone store Saturday was arrested, thanks to their tracking devices, The Associated Press reported. Christopher Lide broke the window of a store at 3 a.m. and grabbed cash, phones and iPads. The device tracked him down as he was driving on the Southern State Parkway 12 hours later.

NYPD Looking for Suspects in String of Air Pump Thefts

NEW YORK – Police are seeking two suspects behind a string of 17 air pump thefts from gas stations in Brooklyn and Queens, from Dec. 29 to April 3. In each instance, the suspects used vehicles with tow hooks and chains to take coin-operated air pumps, which had anywhere from a couple hundred to a few thousand dollars.

This article appeared in print on page 5 of the April 20th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.