Woman Raped & Thrown Off Second Story of Pier 15

East River Waterfront Esplanade. A 56-year-old woman fell approx. 20 feet from the top level of Pier 15 to the ground below. Police are investigating whether the woman was raped and if she was pushed over the railing. (Exclusive Photos: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates)

UPDATE: Police confirm she was raped and thrown off the second story of the pier.

The double-decker Pier 15 - located along the waterfront near the Financial District - was closed off all day yesterday while the NYPD's Crime Scene squad conducted their investigation. Police caution tape was strung across the entire width of the Pier and officers guarded the entrance. Click on image to enlarge.

The upper level closes at dusk. According to the police the incident occurred at approximately 2am Monday morning.

The Parks Department had Park Enforcement Patrol coverage (PEP) coverage exclusively dedicated to the Pier for the first time on Sunday but they left by 8:00pm - five hours before the incident occurred. Sunday was the first day PEP began it's "Contract Park" obligations where officers are assigned exclusivity to one park. The two officers are contracted to work just one shift leaving the Pier for vast majority of the day not secured. The public, including elected official and advocates have been calling for a dramatic rise in the hiring of officers to provide security in parks city-wide which have seen a dramatic rise in crime.

Manhattan

By Geoffrey Croft

A 56-year-old woman fell approx. 20 feet from an elevated platform early yesterday morning at Pier 15 along the East River near the South Street Seaport, NYC Park Advocates has learned.

Police are investigating the incident as a possible rape.

The woman is a member of Occupy Wall Street. The incident occurred about 4 am Monday morning.

According to a law enforcement source the woman met a man and they went looking for somewhere to drink. They two settled on a lawn area on the top floor of the pier. The woman somehow passed out and when she awoke she was on the ground....20 feet below. Her pants had been removed.

The woman suffered a broken arm and a fractured pelvis from the fall. She was taken to Bellevue and under went surgery yesterday.

The suspect is described as a male black in his 50's. The police have have a street name for the suspect.

Pier 15, located between Fletcher & John Streets at the Southern end of the South Street Seaport extends 500 feet out into the East River and is part of the city’s $167 million East River Waterfront two-mile East River esplanade project.

Pier 15 - located at South St. between Fletcher & John St. in the Financial District was closed off all day yesterday while the NYPD conducted its investigation. The normally bustling Pier was eerily quiet as officers guarded the entrance, police caution tape was strung across the entire width of the Pier. Throngs of tourists filed passed the pier, some took photos of the crime scene vehicle which was parked off to the side under the FDR drive.

The 50, 000-square-foot structure opened in December 2011 and South streets, is part of the city's $167 million East River Waterfront project. The for-profit Pier was built by the city's Economic Development Corporation.

The NYPD's Crime Scene Unit vehicle on Pier 15.

Investigators from the NYPD worked on the roof-top where a 56-year-old woman was pushed yesterday.

Read More:

Woman raped, thrown 20 feet off Pier 15 by South Street Seaport

Metro New York - September 11, 2012 - By Carly Baldwin

1010 Wins

September 11, 2012

Police Hunt For Monday's Pier 15 Rapist Of OWS Woman

A Walk In The Park - September 13, 2012

Police Arrest Pier 15 Rape Suspect - Also Charged With Rape Of 14-Year-Old

A Walk In The Park - September 15, 2012

Park Welfair Employee Stabs Co-Worker To Death

"The Parks Department Opportunity Program does not discriminate against people with prior criminal records." - Vickie Karp Parks  Spokeswoman.

Police investigators at the scene. A welfare worker employed by the Parks Department allegedly stabbed a co-worker to death yesterday outside the Al Oerter recreation center. (Photo: 

Alert PEP officers tracked down the suspect in Flushing Meadows Corona Park shortly after. Park employees at the scene did not call 911 to say a suspect was loose or give a description of the assailant according at the scene.   Concerns have once again been raised over the lack of background checks, especially for people with violent criminal histories for parks workers enrolled in the welfare-to-work program. 

UPDATED

Queens

A welfare worker employed by the Parks Department stabbed a co-worker to death Tuesday outside the recreation center where they worked.

Ezra Black, 31, from Brooklyn, was stabbed in the chest by fellow Job Training     Participant (JTP) Robert Swann, 51, at the Al Oerter Recreation Center near Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens.

The two welfare recipients were loading garbage that according to Local 983 reps they aren't even supposed to be doing - when they got into an argument over garbage bags according to park sources.  Swann made several threats about killing him prior to the incident sources said. 

They had been bickering for days. 

Swann a grabbed a knife with a wooden handle from a cafeteria and went outside stabbed  him. He calmly left the scene and disappeared into Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.

Park employees at the scene did not call 911 to say a suspect was loose or give a description of the assailant according to a source at the scene.  

"They wanted to keep it quiet," he said.

Instead the Al Oerter Recreation Center manager went looking for police in the park but could not find any. He found PEP officers Ralph Baselice and Sgt. Charles St. Louis inside the PEP headquarters in the Passerelle building who jumped into his car and began driving around the park looking for him.

Officer Baseline broadcasted a description of the suspect over a police radio they had because of the U.S. Open detail. 

While driving around the park an observant St. Louis spotted Swann - who had disposed of his parks uniform - not far from the Unisphere walking towards exit of the park.

The officers got out of the car and ordered him to stop.

He kept walking.

The officers surrounded the alledged assailant. Officer St. Louis took out his mace and again ordered him to stop. As they approached him a police van filled with officers from the 109 Pct.  pulled up with guns drawn and placed him under arrest.

The stabbing victim Ezra Black was taken to New York Hospital Queens, where he later died.

Mr. Black's brother Daniel Black and has allegedly made threats to park employees seeking revenge. Flyers have been distributed to park employees with a photograph of Daniel.

"I don't understand why this was allowed to get to this point," said a parks worker familiar with the situation.  "The manager should have dealt with it before it came to this. Everyone knew these guys were fighting."

Concerns have once again been raised over the lack of background checks, especially for people with violent criminal histories for parks workers enrolled in the welfare-to-work program. 

Black reportedly has more than two dozen prior arrests that include assault,  menacing and criminal use of a firearm.

A parks spokesperson defended hiring people with criminal histories.

"The Parks Department Opportunity Program does not discriminate against people with prior criminal records, " Vickie Karp Parks  Spokeswoman told the Chief.

Read More:

Fatal encounter between two city Parks Department workers sparked

by dispute over bag of garbage, prosecutors say

New York Daily News - September 6, 2012 - By Lisa Colangelo, Joe Stepansky, Shayna Jacobs

Fatal park stab started with fight over garbage bag: Cops

New York Post - September 5, 2012 - By Christina Carrega and  Doug Auer 

A man in a city job-training program is stabbed to death outside a
recreation center in Queens

New York Daily News - September

By Rocco Parascandola, Lisa Colangelo, Joe Kemp

Parks Department Employee Fatally Stabbed by Co-Worker

WNBC -  Sepember 5, 2012 - By Pei-Sze Cheng 

Parks Dept. Worker Is Killed in Queens

By New York Times - September 4, 2012

Parks Dept. Worker Charged In Fatal Queens Stabbing

NY1 News -  September 5, 2012 

Parks Worker Charged with Murdering Colleague in Queens

DNAinfo - September 5, 2012 - By Mary Johnson

 

Parks employee charged with murdering co-worker: DA 

Times Ledger - September 5, 2012 - By Rich Bockmann

Woman Raped In Riverside Park

Manhattan

By Geoffrey Croft

(Photos: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates)

A 19-year-old woman was allegedly raped early this morning in Riverside Park in back of a popular playground, NYC Park Advocates has learned.

The incident occurred Monday morning at approximately 2:15am beside a tree adjacent to Dinosaur Playground between W. 96/97th Streets.

The victim was taken to St. Luke's Hospital.

The victim returned to the scene with detectives from the Special Victims squad at noon today where she was seen pointing to the location where alleged incident occurred. Detectives were seen taking photographs beside a large tree.

Police have interviewed a possible suspect, a male hispanic.

The matter is under investigation.

A 19-year-old woman was allegedly raped early this morning in Riverside Park beside the large tree. Dinosaur Playground is behind it.

Police at the scene.

An officer from the 24 Pct watches the crime scene.

A father enters Dinosaur Playground with his daughter this afternoon.

Read/View More:

Woman allegedly raped in Riverside Park

WABC - September 3, 2012 - By Jeff P

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/new_york&id=8796115

Rape Reported In Riverside Park, Police Hunt For Potential Suspect

WCBS - September 3, 2012  - By Sean Hennisy

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/09/03/police-hunt-for-riverside-park-rape-suspect/

Rape Reported In Riverside Park

1010 WINS - September 3, 2012 -  By Sonia Rincon

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/09/03/police-hunt-for-riverside-park-rape-suspect/

Woman, 19, Reports Rape at Riverside Park A 19-year-old woman reported the incident happened at about 2:15 a.m. near the back of Dinosaur Playground  Sep 4, 2012

WNBC - 

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Riverside-Park-Rape-Report-19-Year-Old-Woman-Upper-West-Side-168393626.html

Woman raped in Riverside Park -

Fox -  September 3, 2012   

http://www.myfoxny.com/story/19445791/woman-raped-in-riverside-park

Four Stabbed in Bronx Playground

Twenty-three people have been shot and stabbed in city parks and playgrounds this Summer so far including four last evening. (Photo: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates)

Bronx

Violence erupted Saturday evening when four people - three females, ages 39, 19, 18 and one male, 17 were stabbed in a Bronx Playground as a result of a dispute NYC Park Advocates has learned.

According to the police the 18-year-old was stabbed in the torso and is in serious but stable condition, and 39-year-old was stabbed in the back, the 19-year-old in the stomach and the 17-year-old male in the right arm.

The incident occurred just before 10:00pm in Half-Nelson Playground on Nelson Avenue bet. Featherbed La and W. 174th St.

Three victims were transported to St. Barnabas and one to Lincoln Hospital. All are in stable condition according to the police.

No other information is available at this time.

It has been an especially violent Summer this year in the city's parks and playgrounds with 23 people being shot and stabbed.

According to figures complied by NYC Park Advocates since July alone 17 people have been shot, resulting in 4 deaths and six people were stabbed, one fatally.

- Geoffrey Croft

Read More:

Four Injured In Stabbing At Bronx Playground

1010 WINS - September 2, 2012 - By Glenn Schuck

Park Crime Explodes In July- Crime Up 24% Since 2009

A Walk In The Park - August 8, 2012

Feds Search For Radium “Hot Spots” In Great Kills Park

"Everytime we go in to have another section surveyed, for one reason or another, we find additional hot spots.” - NPS spokesperson.

No-go zone in Great Kills Park. The National Park Service has already remediated seven hot spots, amounting to about four, 55-gallon drums of soil. Radium was initially detected at Great Kills Park during a NYPD helicopter “flyover” of the city in 2005, (Photo: Irving Silverstein/Staten Island Advance

Staten Island

The National Park Service and Army Corps of Engineers will be taking a time-critical approach to surveying and remediating areas of Great Kills Park in Gateway National Recreation Area, where radium “hot spots” are detected, according to the Staten Island Advance.

In two weeks, the Park Service expects to have the results of a three-day survey, conducted earlier this week by the Army Corps, for radiological contamination in sections of Great Kills Park.

The next phase of the project promises to fast-track the work by allowing simultaneous surveys and remediation of an extensive section of the 225-acre former landfill site located within the park.

Sections of the park were closed after radium was found there in 2005.

“We really need to know the extent of this contamination,” said Kathleen Cuzzolino, environmental protection specialist for the Park Service. “Everytime we go in to have another section surveyed, for one reason or another, we find additional hot spots.”

The radium is believed to be medical treatment waste discarded into a former landfill, closed over 60 years ago, at the site.

“Radium was used to treat cancer tumors,” Ms. Cuzzolino said.

This week the Army Corps surveyed sections of the park including the fishing area along Great Kills Harbor, sections of Bulkhead Road, the education field station down to the boat launch ramp, and parking adjacent to the education field station, Ms. Cuzzolino said.

“This was a portion of land that was able to be cleared by parks staff and was surveyed by the Army Corps. The remainder of the park is a more extensive undertaking,” she added.

The next phase of the project, conducted in accordance with the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Recover Act, will consist of a survey to uncover and remediate the larger portions of the closed area.

The Park Service and Army Corps are currently seeking a contractor to undertake this work.

“We are hoping to make the contract award in the next month or so. This will entail a more extensive clearing of vegetation of all of the area that’s within the historic landfill footprint,” Ms. Cuzzolino said.

She could not say when this phase will begin, but noted it will be completed in a timely fashion.

“We chose to take a time-critical route because we have this specific hazard that we can go in to remediate at the same time. We can dig 2-by-2-foot holes with hand tools to remediate as the radium is found.”

High-tech equipment will also be used to survey the site.

“The site will be walked over, and at certain times it’ll be driven over by a very slow-moving vehicle with several radiological detectors mounted to it, she said.

The Park Service has already remediated seven hot spots, amounting to about four, 55-gallon drums of soil, Ms. Cuzzolino said.

Radium was initially detected at Great Kills Park during a NYPD helicopter “flyover” of the city in 2005, she said. It was one of over 40 “hot spots” where radium contamination was detected.

After several investigations by the EPA and the Park Service, fences were placed around the contaminated area of the park in August 2005.

By March 2007, the city Health Department discovered an additional five contaminated sites, which were immediately closed to the public.

Funding comes through the Department of Interior’s Central Hazardous Material Fund.

Ms. Cuzzolino couldn’t cite the cost of the project.

Read More:

Hunt on for radium 'hot spots' in Staten Island's Great Kills Park

Staten Island Advance - September 1, 2012 - By Tracey Porpora