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Co-op City resident arrested for allegedly threatening another Coop City shareholder with a knife

A Co-op City man was arreted by the Department of Public Safety on Thursday, 2/11/16, afternoon after an investigation was launched stemming from him allegedly threatening another shareholder with a knife on the morning of February 1, 2016, outside the lobby of Building 20A.

According to Lieutenant Anthony Warner, Commander of the Riverbay Coop City Public Detectives Unit, a search for the whereabouts of the Coop City resident in question was launched immediately after the threatened shareholder reported the potentially deadly confrontation on Monday morning.

Lieutenant Anthony Warner, Commander of the Riverbay Coop City Public Detectives Unit, reported that the threatened cooperator reported exiting Building 20A at approximately 9:15am on Monday and noticed what was described as a suspicious looking male loitering within the outer lobby. When the cooperator exited through the front lobby door, it was reported, the shareholder closed the door to avoid this suspicous individual from entering the building. The cooperator then reported advising the suspicious male that he would have to use a key or the intercom to gain access into the building.

According to the report, the male then produced a large knife in a threatening manner towards the cooperator who refused to keep the door open for him.

As soon as the threatened cooperator left the immediate area, the cooperator contacted Coop City Public Safety and reported the threat, at which time, the department immediately ordered a canvas of the entire area, but the suspect was not found right away.

Lt. Warner said that veteran Detective Willie Pagan was then assigned the case and he began an extensive review of surveillance from the building and others.

According to the report, it was discovered by Detective Pagan that someone matching the description of the suspect, now wanted on menacing charges, was captured on surveillance on numerous other occasions entereing Building 20A by "piggybacking" or walking through the front lobby door immediately behind a resident entering the building. The suspect was then observed on several occasions taking the elevator to the top floor and going to the roof, where he would then cross over to the other sections of the building and exit. This suspect was also believed to have slept on the roof of Building 20 on some occasions.

After establishing this pattern of behavior by the suspect, Detective Pagan and Detective Joe Monathan, along with Lt. Warner, conducted a check of the roof of Building 20 early Thursday afternoon.

The Detectives almost immediately observed the suspect on the roof and according to the report, then identified themselves as law enforcement officers and gave the suspect a lawful order to halt. However, the suspect fled down the stairwell. A foot pursuit began as Detective Pagan radioed-in the pursuit to Public Safety central command. Back up units immediately began arriving.

In the meantime, Lt. Frank Torres, back at headquarters, began reviewing live surveillance from the building and saw the suspect in the basement of Building 20A. Several units immediately responded while others sealed off all exits from the building; moments later the officers detained the suspect who was now in the building lobby. Detectives Pagan and Monahan then place the suspect under arrest.

The suspect, identified by Public Safety, as a 20 year old resident of Building 7, faces several charges including menacing in the second degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, harassment in the second degree, criminal trespass in the second degree, criminal trespass in the third degree and trespass.

Lt. Warner said that follow up investigation revealed that the suspect was also allegedly responsible for two other similar incidents of menacing with a knife; one in the immediated vicinity of the community of Conner Street and the other at the hotel across the street from Garage 1. He also faces felony charges in connection with those crimes.

Lieutenant Warner added; "This is what you call teamwork! From the quick actions of Detective Pagan putting over the description and the quick response by Lieutenant Torres viewing live video footage of the building to uniformed patrol covering all exits of the building, we were able to apprehend this dangerous individual and remove him from the streets before someone got seriously hurt. It was a job well done on the investigation by Detective Pagan in reviewing hours of video footage."

Chief Apollo said: "Once again, the Public Safety Department displays it's perseverance in removing a dangerous criminal from our streets. The teamwork in this case exhibited by all members of the department, both uniformed and non-uniformed coupled with the outstanding surveillance conducted via our video camera system, has again prevented a potential tragedy in the future. I commend my staff and am proud to say that I am part of a fabric which consists of outstanding law enforcement personnel."

By Bill Stuttig
Coop City Times is now online

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