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Co-op City Times / May 7, 2011
2nd Combing ty p Cinext Blood Co-oDrive Next CB 10 meeting on May 19 The next Community Board 10 meeting will be held on Thursday, May 19, 7:30 p.m. at Schuyler House, 3077 Cross Bronx Expressway, Bronx, N.Y. 10465. For further information, please contact Community Board 10 at (718) (718) 892-1161.
St. Michael’s Blood Drive St. Michael’s Church, in conjunction with the Knights of Columbus and in association with the New York Blood Center, will host its annual Blood Drive from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 15th. There is always a tremendous need for donations of blood here in the Bronx, so please donate.
Church of the Savior’s food pantry Church of the Savior, located on the ground floor of Building 7, has instituted a parishioner-supported food pantry later this spring for Coop City residents who are finding it difficult to make ends meet in these tough times. The church has been accepting applications from residents. Applicants need to bring a photo identification, such as a driver’s license or a benefits card. Divulging Social Security numbers will not be required. After the application process is complete, food packages will be prepared and distributed to the accepted applicants on Saturdays starting some time later this spring. In the meantime, Church of the Savior is asking residents to donate un-expired non-perishable food items to the food pantry. Food items will be collected at the church on Monday evenings from 7 to 8:30 p.m., and Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. For more information about the application process, donating food, or volunteering, call Church of the Savior’s First Lady Theresa Smith at 718-9255052.
Happy Mother’s Day Sunday, May 8, 2011
FRONT PA G E
Man arrested for stealing roof flashing from Co-op City buildings BY BILL STUTTIG Two Public Safety officers apprehended a man as he was attempting to remove aluminum roof flashing from Building 10A on April 21st. Officers Robert Bersch and Michael Driska, according to the Public Safety report on the incident, observed the suspect, a 26 year-old man, exiting Building 10 through a rear exit door while pushing a shopping cart filled with the valuable flashing. Public Safety officers were previously told to be on alert for these crimes as roof top flashing had been reported missing from the roofs of Building 1 and 6 in prior weeks. After the man was arrested, Public Safety charged that the man was responsible for stealing more than $23,000 worth of the flashing materials from roof tops in the com-
munity over several weeks. The report states that the suspect admitted to the prior thefts from Buildings 1 and 6, which he attempted to sell as scrap metal to nearby businesses. The suspect was charged with burglary in the second degree, criminal mischief in the second degree and criminal possession of stolen property in the second degree, all Class D felonies. In a letter of commendation to Officers Driska and Bersch, Chief Frank Apollo, commanding officer of the Department of Public Safety, said: “Your professional and quick response led to the apprehension and arrest of a career criminal known to our department. “(The suspect) displayed a disregard for community property, as well as his own safety, by removing thousands of
dollars worth of aluminum flashing off the roofs of several Co-op City buildings with the intent to sell the expensive material. Your attention to detail and quick response resulted in identifying, questioning, retrieving some of the stolen property, and ultimately arresting the suspect who had no authority to be present in Building 10A during the early morning hours of April 21, 2011. “Because of your professionalism and call to duty, the people of Co-op City can live in peace knowing that this criminal has been removed from our streets. You have made an incredible impact in the community, as well as the Riverbay Corporation; who consequently now have a replacement cost of approximately $23,000 due to the suspect’s prior actions.”
Killer gets 90-years to life sentence in slaying of Co-op City maintenance supervisor BY JIM ROBERTS The convicted murderer of former Coop City building supervisor Audley Bent tried to run from the courtroom while begging for mercy during his sentencing on Thursday, May 5, in Bronx Supreme Court. According to a report in the Daily News, the murderer, Paulino Valenzuela, shouted “No, please!” as he attempted to flee the courtroom of Judge Alvin Yearwood. Five court officers held Valenzuela down on the defense table until they got him under control so the court proceedings could continue. Judge Yearwood then told Valenzuela that sentencing in this horrific case would be very easy because of the defendant’s failure to show any remorse for his murderous actions in 2007 and gave him a 90years-to-life-sentence, ensuring that the 54-year-old Valenzuela will spend the rest of his life in state prison. According to the Daily News, Valenzuela’s attorney Michael Torres said he plans to file an appeal. A Bronx Supreme Court jury convicted Valenzuela on one count of seconddegree murder in the death of his former supervisor, Bent; one count of seconddegree attempted murder in the shooting
of former co-worker Filip Zadrima; and one count of first-degree assault in the shooting of former coworker Sander Palaj. Valenzuela was also found guilty of two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Valenzuela was a former Co-op City resident and porter for Riverbay from 1994 until he was fired in 2005 for a documented history of incidents related to threats and violence against co-workers and supervisors and drinking on the job. He took revenge for his firing two years later on Aug. 30, 2007. At approximately 8 a.m., the start of what was anticipated to be a normal work day at Riverbay, Valenzuela went to the Building 26 office of his former boss armed with a
.38 caliber revolver equipped with a silencer and shot and killed Riverbay building supervisor Bent in his office and then shot two other Riverbay employees who happened to be in the vicinity of Bent’s office. Zadrima was shot in the arm and quickly recovered from his wound, but Palaj was left a quadriplegic by the bullet that struck him. Another worker in the vicinity had the gun pointed at him and Valenzuela fired but the gun jammed saving the man from serious injury or worse. The case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant Bronx District Attorney Christiana Stover of D.A. Robert Johnson’s Gang Prosecution/Major Case Bureau.
Easter Egg Hunt!
Co-op City Department of Public Safety (718) 671-3050 •
www.ccpd.us. If you SEE something, SAY something!
Children enjoy an Easter egg hunt held by the Building 1 A&B Association.