Posts Tagged ‘crime’
On reputation
Tis the season for early applicant admissions statistics to be released. Brown, UPenn and Dartmouth have already released their early decision admissions statistics, and other schools should follow soon.
We all know that the reputation of a college depends on its selectivity. And its selectivity depends largely on its reputation. A look at almost any college ranking will show a very high correlation between rank and selectivity.
Dartmouth—seeing a whopping 12.5 percent decline in its early decision applicants—could be at the start of a long, slippery slope in terms of selectivity and reputation.
Their admissions office suggests Hurricane Sandy is part of the reason for the low number of applicants this year, but both Brown and UPenn have reported an increase in applicants—with UPenn even seeing a record high.
So unless fratty Republicans were affected by Sandy significantly more than the rest of us, Dartmouth’s explanations don’t fool anyone, and I think we should stop ignoring big Keggy the Keg in the room. More »
Suspect arrested in triple homicide case
Police have arrested a suspect in the murder of three men found dead near campus earlier this month, the New York Post reported Saturday.
Roberto Nunez, a convicted felon, was arrested at about 8 a.m. as he entered his brother’s home in the Bronx, according to the Post. An acquaintance had taken Nunez’s gun and sold it to an undercover police officer, and police were able to match it to shell casings found in the victims, leading to the arrest.
The three victims were found fatally shot in a car parked across the street from Columbia’s Knox Hall, on 122nd Street between Broadway and Claremont Avenue. The Post said that all three were marijuana traffickers, and that Nunez might have killed them for robbing rival drug dealers.
Check back for more details as we get them.
Three dead from gunshot wounds on 122nd between Broadway and Claremont
Updated with surveillance video, 11:48 p.m. on Friday. Read the full news article here.
Three people were found dead in a parked car on 122nd Street between Broadway and Claremont Avenue on Thursday evening. The apparent cause of death was a gunshot wound to each.
The three victims—all Hispanic men who appear to be in their 20s or 30s—were found inside a newly registered, legally parked BMW. A passerby noticed the men, who were wearing white T-shirts drenched in blood, at around 6:30 p.m. No windows or doors of the car appeared to be broken, but, according to Paul Browne, the NYPD’s chief spokesman, the police do not suspect a murder-suicide.
The car was parked four carlengths from the northeast corner of 122nd and Claremont, in front of the Manhattan School of Music, and across from the entrance to Knox Hall, a Columbia building.
As of 9:50 p.m., the police were moving a van in front of the vehicle, blocking sightlines. Crowds of locals had gathered in the median and across Broadway. Most networks were on the scene. By 10:08 p.m., the police had hung sheets between trucks so as to completely block the view of the crime scene.
Browne issued a new statement to reporters at 10:15 p.m. with the following details. Check after the jump. More »
This week, be randomly kind
Good morning! Here’s what’s happening in the paper today. Also, don’t forget to follow Day 2 of our Shaft housing liveblog, which will be happening right here starting at around 9:30 a.m!
Read this: 13 student projects have been awarded up to $1,500 each under CCSC’s new Student Project Grants initiative. [News]
Know this: 80 percent of robberies in the area involve iPhones. [News]
Here’s more: Arvin Ahmadi explains how you can curate your own online brand. [Opinion]
Event of the day: The Student Wellness Project has declared this week “Random Acts of Kindness” week. Each day the group’s members will be doing something to make your day a little brighter. Yesterday, it was free hugs. Today, it’s free food: From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., they’ll be offering free lemonade and cookies outside of Butler. The Bhakti club will be offering a cooking class at 5:30 p.m. in the Broadway lounge, and serving free food at 6 p.m. Check out their website for more info and to share a story of kindness.
28th Precinct addresses problem of ‘youth crews’
The death of a high school basketball star in General Grant Houses left residents shaken in September. Tayshana Murphy, whom ESPN ranked the #16 point guard in the country, was gunned down at W. 122nd Street and Broadway. In December, the 26th and 28th precincts—which cover Morningside Heights and West and Central Harlem, respectively—held public forums to address locals’ concerns.
The News Desk’s Luke Barnes covered the 28th Precinct meeting, focusing on the problem of “youth crews,” which many blame in Murphy’s death and ongoing disputes between local public housing projects. More after the jump, and read the story here. More »
Sex, crime, and Michael Caine
It’s late. You’re up. I started writing this on an overheated bus, and I am finishing it back home in New York. The one eleven is still on. More »
Attempted robbery on 114th St.
Public Safety is currently circulating another alert informing students of an attempted robbery that occurred last night on 114th St. between Broadway and Amsterdam—and it sounds eerily familiar to a previously reported incident.
At about 11:50 p.m., two students were walking on the north side of 114th towards Broadway, when one was assaulted by the suspect. The suspect threatened the victim, shoving her against a fence, and demanded she give up her iPhone. When the student said she didn’t have an iPhone, the suspect took off towards Amsterdam without taking any property.
More: The suspect can be seen on security tapes walking back and forth 114th before the crime. Just a few minutes before, he followed another student into Ruggles Hall, but left the building immediately.
Students are encouraged to contact the 26 Pct Detective Unit at 212-678-1351 if you have any further information about this crime. If you observe this person on the street, call the police immediately by dialing 911.
Armed robbery occurred in lobby of a brownstone on Saturday night
Dean of Community Development and Multicultural Affairs Terry Martinez sent out a security alert this afternoon detailing an armed robbery that happened Saturday night in the lobby of a brownstone on 114th St., between Broadway and Amsterdam.
At around 7:30 p.m., two victims (both male) encountered a man sitting on the steps of the brownstone. The man followed the first victim into the hallway, displaying a gun, demanding the victim’s iPhone. After the first victim said he didn’t have an iPhone, the man returned the phone to the victim.
At this point, the second victim entered the hallway, and the suspect again demanded his iPhone. Again, the man handed his phone over and returned it when he realized it wasn’t an iPhone. The man then left the building and fled on foot down Amsterdam.
The suspect is believed to be male, black, 30 year old, 160 lbs. He was wearing a black hat, green waist length jacket, and blue jeans.
Martinez asked anyone that had information to call the 26th precinct Detective Unit at 212-678-1351. She also reminded everyone to be careful when walking alone and night, and that public safety can be reached by calling 212.854.5555.
Check back later for more updates.
Robbery on 114th street
The Department of Public Safety has released a security alert informing students of a robbery that occurred at 10:30 p.m. last night on 114th St. between Broadway and Amsterdam.
According to the release, two males approached two students, brandishing a box cutter and stole an iPhone from one of the students. The two suspects then fled south on Amsterdam after the assault. An image of the two attackers is included in the alert:
Woman sexually assaulted in Morningside Park Sunday evening
Updated 3:45 p.m.
A 29-year-old woman was the victim of a sexual crime in Morningside Park Sunday evening.
A 5’8” black man in his 20s “performed a sex act” on the woman at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Lieutenant John Grimpel of the NYPD said. The crime, which took place on the upper level path of Morningside Park between 116th and 118th streets, was being classified as a criminal sex act as of 1 p.m. on Monday, according to Grimpel.
The alert issued by Columbia University Public Safety said that the victim was walking, engaged in a short conversation with the suspect, and was then sexually assaulted.
The assault comes after a string of shootings this summer prompted the 26th precinct increased its patrol cars through the park. Precinct captain Dave Ehrenberg said in August that, following the increased patrols, the precinct received more calls complaining about the presence of the cars than of violence.
Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer pledged in August to fund closed-circuit security cameras in the park, though none have been installed yet.
The suspect was wearing a hooded, zippered sweatshirt, a black doorag and blue jeans, Grimpel said.
The staircase at 116th Street at Morningside Drive was cordoned off on Monday morning but reopened by 1 p.m.
Check back for updates.