2008 Woodie Awards
NYPD Raids Majestic
Dominic Delgardo
Issue date: 2/9/05 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
At roughly 8:45 last Tuesday morning, the Majestic apartment building at 3660 Waldo Avenue was raided by police as they arrested three men who possessed both narcotics and several weapons. Waldo Avenue was completely shut off to traffic for several hours.
The police apparently scaled the walls of the Majestic in order to gain entrance to the apartment. Upon entrance, they discovered 3 guns including a 40 caliber and .9mm handgun along with a large bag of ammo. Also in the apartment were roughly 350 envelops of heroin and cocaine. The three men had a police scanner, 2 inactive hand grenades, decoy guns, a bullet proof vest, EMS shield and Marine Uniform.
The three men, 26 year old James Cruiz who claimed to be homeless, and 27 year olds Joel Rosario of Manhattan and Andre Brown who lived in apartment 5A of the off-campus building and were pulled out of the building while still in their underwear. While none of the suspects had any relation to the Manhattan College community, several students from MC reside in the building.
According to some residents, neither they nor the super of the building were aware of the police activities that day. "It was totally unexpected," said Joseph Percaciollo, a junior and resident of the Majestic apartment building. He went on to say, "I know the landlord here is kinda skeezy but I never thought something to that magnitude would happen here. It really was a shock; it's scary but at the same point no matter where you go it's bound to happen."
Residents of the Majestic, both Manhattan College students and other residents, were advised by MC students from Overlook Manor to leave the building immediately. On their way out of the building, the residents had to cross police crime-scene tape.
Barbara Darby, a resident of the building, told the Riverdale Review that "At about a quarter to nine the police knocked on [her] door and told [her] to evacuate this apartment." She continued to say "I was very frightened because I was almost over them."
After the bomb squad was called in to search the apartment and remove the two hand grenades, residents were allowed to return to their rooms at roughly 10:45. The common reaction by local residents and Manhattan College students is that everyone is extremely lucky that the individuals were apprehended when they were. With the amount of ammunition, and the unexplained military outfit, something terrible could have very well occurred in the near future.
The police apparently scaled the walls of the Majestic in order to gain entrance to the apartment. Upon entrance, they discovered 3 guns including a 40 caliber and .9mm handgun along with a large bag of ammo. Also in the apartment were roughly 350 envelops of heroin and cocaine. The three men had a police scanner, 2 inactive hand grenades, decoy guns, a bullet proof vest, EMS shield and Marine Uniform.
The three men, 26 year old James Cruiz who claimed to be homeless, and 27 year olds Joel Rosario of Manhattan and Andre Brown who lived in apartment 5A of the off-campus building and were pulled out of the building while still in their underwear. While none of the suspects had any relation to the Manhattan College community, several students from MC reside in the building.
According to some residents, neither they nor the super of the building were aware of the police activities that day. "It was totally unexpected," said Joseph Percaciollo, a junior and resident of the Majestic apartment building. He went on to say, "I know the landlord here is kinda skeezy but I never thought something to that magnitude would happen here. It really was a shock; it's scary but at the same point no matter where you go it's bound to happen."
Residents of the Majestic, both Manhattan College students and other residents, were advised by MC students from Overlook Manor to leave the building immediately. On their way out of the building, the residents had to cross police crime-scene tape.
Barbara Darby, a resident of the building, told the Riverdale Review that "At about a quarter to nine the police knocked on [her] door and told [her] to evacuate this apartment." She continued to say "I was very frightened because I was almost over them."
After the bomb squad was called in to search the apartment and remove the two hand grenades, residents were allowed to return to their rooms at roughly 10:45. The common reaction by local residents and Manhattan College students is that everyone is extremely lucky that the individuals were apprehended when they were. With the amount of ammunition, and the unexplained military outfit, something terrible could have very well occurred in the near future.