Regional Briefs – January 24, 2019

Woman Killed, Infant Among Injured in Queens Fire

QUEENS – One woman died and two people, including a 5-month-old baby, were injured in a blaze Wednesday that spread to three homes, The Associated Press reported. More than 100 firefighters responded to the blaze.

Bill Would Make Stealing From an Employee a Felony

ALBANY – A bill would make it easier to prosecute wage theft by creating a new misdemeanor for employers who withhold pay. Current law makes it a felony to repeatedly withhold a worker’s pay but the high legal threshold results in few prosecutions.

Strong Storm Socks NJ, Spurring Power Outages

TRENTON – About 3,200 customers were without power Thursday evening as storms containing heavy rains and strong winds socked New Jersey, The Associated Press reported. Most of the outages were in northern areas, with scattered outages along the Jersey shore.

Attempted Murder Charge For Man Who Shot at Cops

SALEM, N.J. – A man who shot at police officers who were trying to arrest him Wednesday was arrested for attempted murder, The Associated Press reported. Eric Smith, 26, spurred a standoff that lasted for three hours before he surrendered. No one was injured.

Man May Have Targeted Asians in Fatal Hammer Attack

BROOKLYN – A third person died Thursday in a hammer attack at a Chinese restaurant in Sheepshead Bay that police now suspect was targeting Asians, The Associated Press reported. Seaport Buffet’s manager died more than a week after the unprompted attack by Arthur Martunovich, 34. The diner’s owner and chef also died.