What’s News, Breaking: Monday, November 6, 2023

November 6, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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USDA: METAL PIECES FOUND IN SOME
TYSON FOODS’ FUN CHICKEN PATTIES

NATIONWIDE — TYSON FOODS IS RECALLING approximately 29,819 pounds of fully cooked, breaded, shaped chicken patty product that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically metal pieces, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has announced. The frozen chicken patties were produced on Sept. 5, 2023, and are distributed in 29-oz. plastic packages containing “Tyson Fully Cooked Fun Nuggets Breaded Shaped Chicken Patties” with a Best If Used By date of SEP 04, 2024, and lot codes 2483BRV0207, 2483BRV0208, 2483BRV0209 and 2483BRV0210. The product subject to recall bears the establishment number “P-7211” located on the rear of the package. The problem was discovered after the firm notified FSIS that it had received consumer complaints reporting small metal pieces in the chicken patty product.

There has been one reported minor oral injury associated with the consumption of this product. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to eat them, but instead return them to the place of purchase, or discard them.

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MENACING CANDY CROOK HITS MYRTLE AVENUE DOLLAR GENERAL

BUSHWICK — POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR A BANDIT WITH A SWEET TOOTH AND A BAD DISPOSITION who stole $110 worth of candy from a Dollar General store on Myrtle Avenue in Bushwick almost three weeks before Halloween. The unidentified man entered the store on Oct. 11 at roughly 4:43 p.m. and filled a bag with candy, police said. He then became physical and combative, and menaced the store manager with a knife before fleeing. There were no injuries. The man is described as having a light complexion, a medium build, is roughly 25 to 45 years of age, and was last seen wearing a hoodie sweater with a white circle design on the front, gray pants, black sneakers and a black hat.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) or visit Crime Stoppers.

Police are looking for this suspect in a candy caper.
Photo: NYPD

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LAWSUITS FILED AGAINST FORMER OBSTETRICS ADMINISTRATOR ACCUSED OF GROPING

CONEY ISLAND — FEMALE STAFFERS WHO CLAIM THAT A FORMER HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR IN BROOKLYN GROPED THEM ARE NOW SUING THEIR BOSS AND THE MEDICAL CENTER THAT EMPLOYS THEM, the Daily News reports. All of them were at the medical center then called Coney Island Hospital, which is now NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health. The lead plaintiff accuses the former obstetrics department administrator, identified in the Daily News story as Ayman Mekhail, of groping her breasts, licking her neck against her will and, the next day, casually asking her if she wanted a coffee. The above plaintiff said that the hospital administration did nothing to support her complaint, and has since filed a lawsuit; two staffers with similar experiences are litigating separately as well.

The female staffer also filed a criminal complaint against Mekhail the day following the 2022 incident. Her court testimony led to his being found guilty of misdemeanor forcible touching, sex abuse and unlawful imprisonment.

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HOCHUL: TRUMP ‘THROWING TEMPER TANTRUMS’ ON WITNESS STAND

MANHATTAN — GOV. KATHY HOCHUL ON MONDAY DESCRIBED FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S court testimony, also taking place Monday, in blunt terms. “Today … we’re hoping that the truth comes out about a fraudster, an imposter, someone who allegedly lied about all his business holdings over an entire lifetime,” she told reporters. “Former President Donald Trump is testifying in an unprecedented civil trial brought by our own Attorney General, Tish James. So far from telling the truth as he’s required to do, he’s throwing temper tantrums from the witness stand and verbally attacking judges and courtroom staff. His conduct has been a disgrace,” she said.

Throughout Monday’s hearing, Trump repeatedly assailed James and Judge Arthur Engoron in the $250 million civil fraud case, according to news sources including CNN.

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NYU LANGONE HOSPITAL-BROOKLYN EARNS TOP
SAFETY RATING FROM LEAPFROG WATCHDOG GROUP

CITYWIDE — NYU LANGONE HEALTH HAS, FOR THE SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE TIME, EARNED TOP SAFETY RATINGS FOR ITS HOSPITALS ACROSS THE SYSTEM. NYU Langone hospitals receiving an “A” rating top mark include NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn, Tisch Hospital and Kimmel Pavilion in Manhattan, and NYU Langone Hospital-Long Island. The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization, semiannually (fall and spring) assigns a letter grade, from “A” to “F,” to general hospitals across the country based on more than 30 performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries, and infections, as well as the systems that hospitals have established to prevent harm to patients.

Earlier this year, Vizient, Inc., named NYU Langone the No. 1 hospital in the nation for quality and patient safety; and, U.S. News & World Report included NYU Langone on its “Best Hospitals Honor Roll,” ranking 10 of its clinical specialties among the top 10 nationally. Moreover, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services awarded NYU Langone five stars for safety, quality, and patient experience.

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MOM WHO MADE OFF WITH SON IN N. CAROLINA SIGHTED IN BROOKLYN

BROWNSVILLE — A 28-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WHO MADE OFF with her own 4-year-old son on Oct. 21 while visiting him in North Carolina — violating a court order — has been sighted in Brownsville, Brooklyn, police said. Jozlynn Parker and her son, Taiden Baker, were seen on Wednesday, Nov. 1, at approximately 11 a.m. in the vicinity of 338 Chester St. The boy has brown eyes, long black hair, stands 3’00” tall, and weighs approximately 35 lbs.

Anyone with information is asked to call NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), or by logging onto Crime Stoppers.

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DOT SAYS NO MORE WEEKEND BQE CLOSURES UNTIL SPRING 2024

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — NYC DOT SAYS IT WILL HOLD OFF ON WEEKEND CLOSURES of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street) until spring 2024. The interim repair work on the deteriorated road surface was delayed by several factors, including supply chain issues affecting roadway plates and heavy rain. Temporary roadway plates and shielding have been removed, and temporary asphalt has been installed on the affected areas near Clark Street and Grace Court. Pavement markings will be reinstalled in the next two weeks, DOT said in a release.

Intermittent nighttime single-lane closures will continue until the end of this year’s construction season on Nov. 17, DOT said.

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ADAMS SAYS HE’S CONFIDENT IN TOP FUNDRAISER DESPITE FBI RAID

CITYWIDE — MAYOR ERIC ADAMS INSISTED ON SUNDAY THAT HE REMAINS FULLY CONFIDENT in his chief fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, despite the recent FBI raid on her home, where agents confiscated boxes of records. In an interview on PIX 11 with Dan Mannarino, the mayor called Suggs, 25, a “very bright, energetic, smart young lady who worked hard,” adding that she led his entire fundraising apparatus and “led the fundraising numbers when you look at throughout the entire campaign.” Adams told Mannarino he had not been contacted by investigators about possible illegal campaign contributions.

Word of the FBI raid caused Adams to cancel top-level meetings with federal officials in Washington, D.C. regarding the migrant situation.

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WOMAN HIT, INJURED BY TRAIN AT BOROUGH HALL STATION

BOROUGH HALL — A WOMAN JUMPED IN FRONT OF A 2 TRAIN AT THE BOROUGH HALL STATION in Downtown Brooklyn on Sunday around 1:20 p.m., according to Patch. The 54-year-old woman was struck by the northbound train, causing trauma to her leg. She was taken to Lutheran Medical Center in stable condition, Patch reports.

Service was disrupted on the 2, 3, 4, and 5 lines for roughly an hour.

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BROOKLYN’S AVENUE J SUBWAY STATION IS FRESHLY ‘RE-NEW-VATED’

MIDWOOD — MTA ANNOUNCED ON THURSDAY THAT TRANSIT CREWS have completed functional and aesthetic upgrades at the Avenue J subway station in Midwood. Ceilings, walls, columns and entrances were scraped and repainted; graffiti on platform sheds was painted over; outdated signage was removed and lighting repaired. In addition, overgrown vegetation was trimmed back and canopy gutters were cleaned to prevent leaks onto the platform during heavy rainstorms.

The work was part of New York City Transit’s Re-NEW-vation Program which utilizes planned service outages to perform station-wide repairs, enhancements and deep cleaning, MTA said in a release.

Before and after views of the fresh paint job at the Avenue J station.
Photo: Marc A. Hermann/MTA

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POPPY’S IS ABOUT TO OPEN IN BROOKLYN HEIGHTS

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — LOCALS WHO HAVE BEEN MISSING CRANBERRY’S deli at 48 Henry St. will be happy to know that Poppy’s bakery and deli is having its soft opening on Nov. 3-5 for shortened hours, and a grand opening with full hours on Tuesday, Nov. 7, the Brooklyn Heights Blog reports. Poppy’s owner and creative director Jamie Erickson told BHB that they are “so beyond thrilled to finally open our doors in Brooklyn Heights.”

See details, photos, and a bit of Poppy’s mouth-watering menu at brooklynheightsblog.com.

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VICTIM ATTACKED BY TWO WOMEN ON 4 TRAIN

PARK SLOPE — POLICE ARE SEARCHING FOR TWO WOMEN who allegedly assaulted a 30-year-old female victim while they were riding on a southbound 4 Train in Brooklyn on Oct. 11 at roughly 12:30 a.m. Cops said the two women punched and kicked the victim, then disembarked at the Grand Army Plaza/Flatbush Avenue station. The victim sustained bruising, scratches and a laceration to the lip. The first suspect has a dark complexion and was last seen wearing a gray zip-up long-sleeve shirt, black leggings and blue sneakers. The second suspect has a dark complexion and was wearing a gray top, blue jeans and white sneakers.

If you have information call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), or log onto Crime Stoppers.

Suspects in the assault on 4 Train.
Photos: NYPD

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COLTON SPONSORS FORUM ON ANTI-BULLYING LAW

BENSONHURST — THE CHINESE AMERICAN SOCIAL SERVICE CENTER HELD A FORUM this past Wednesday, Nov. 1, with State Assemblymember William Colton (D-47) as one of the keynote speakers. Colton sponsored this forum in the aftermath of a recent bullying incident at I.S. 201 within his district, which stretches from Bath Beach to Dyker Heights. Assemblymember Colton spoke to the parents in attendance about the anti-bullying law that New York State originally passed in 2010, The Dignity for All Students Law, whose goal, according to the New York State Department of Education, is “to provide the State’s public elementary and secondary school students with a safe and supportive environment free from discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment, and bullying on school property, a school bus and/or at a school function.”

Other speakers included representatives of the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, the Office of Parent Engagement at Seth Low Intermediate School, the Federation of Italian-American Organizations, and youth officers from the 62nd Precinct.

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NY ATTORNEY GENERAL OPENS PROBE INTO NYPD’S SHOOTING OF MAN WHO HAD KILLED HIS NEIGHBORS

FLATBUSH AND BATH BEACH — THE NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE OF SPECIAL INVESTIGATION (OSI) HAS OPENED an investigation into the death of Jason Pass, who died on Nov. 1, 2023, following an encounter with members of the New York City Police Department. According to the Daily News and other reports from the NYPD, Jason Pass, 47, is the alleged killer who was caught on video surveillance while shooting Bladimy Mathurin — also 47 — and Mathurin’s 27-year-old stepson Chin Wai Mode in the hallway of their Flatbush Gardens apartment building last month. On Wednesday, Nov. 1, NYPD officers who were engaged in an active criminal investigation allegedly encountered Mr. Pass, who was sitting in a car that was pulled over next to the sidewalk on Bay 44th Street in Brooklyn, but who then ran away. The officers, catching up with him, talked to him to de-escalate the situation. In the process, Mr. Pass brandished a knife and charged it at them. The officers returned fire. Mr. Pass was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

New York State Executive Law Section 70-b requires the State Attorney General’s OSI to assess every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission.

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BROOKLYN DISTRICT ATTORNEY MOVES TO VACATE CONVICTION BASED ON FAULTY WITNESS STATEMENTS

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — THE KINGS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PLANS TO VACATE THE CONVICTION OF A MAN WHO SPENT 35 YEARS IN PRISON BASED ON THE TESTIMONY OF AN EYEWITNESS found to be unreliable, following a thorough reinvestigation by the DA’s Conviction Review Unit. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said, on Nov. 3, that he will move to vacate the conviction of Detroy Livingston, 59, who was convicted after a 1986 trial in connection with a marijuana-connected murder that happened four years earlier inside a Bedford-Stuyvesant bodega. The reinvestigation found that the sole eyewitness was highly unreliable, having given numerous contradictory statements and being high on crack cocaine when she allegedly witnessed the incident. Paroled in 2021, Livingston was scheduled to appear in court on Friday morning before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Matthew D’Emic at the Criminal Term court building on 320 Jay Street.

District Attorney Gonzalez said, “This old conviction was predicated on the testimony of a single witness who, based on a reinvestigation by my Conviction Review Unit, should have never been called to testify at trial.”

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PROSPECT HTS. GROUP REBUKES CITY ON DELAYS IN MAKING INTERSECTIONS SAFE FOR PEDESTRIANS

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT AND PROSPECT HTS. — THE IDENTITY OF AN ELDERLY WOMAN WHO WAS KILLED in two consecutive hit-and-run incidents within a minute has been disclosed, with the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Council issuing a strong rebuke about neglected safety improvements in the area. Yvonne Sandiford, 79, was struck and killed while crossing the intersection of New York Ave. and Herkimer St. in Bedford-Stuyvesant, according to NYPD reports. The first car that struck Ms. Sandiford rendered her unable to get up; then, a second vehicle hit her fatally. First responders arriving on the scene were not able to revive her. Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development chair Gib Veconi pointed out, “The intersection where Yvonne Sandiford was killed had no pedestrian safety features, such as curb extensions or daylighting. PHNDC has continuously been calling on City Hall to complete the Underhill Avenue redesign in Prospect Heights, which includes these measures at many of the street’s intersections, yet has faced unnecessary and arbitrary delays.

The number of Prospect Heights residents over 60 years old increased by 83% between 2010 and 2021, Veconi said. Sandiford was the matriarch of a large family from Barbados.

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BROOKLYN E.R. DOCS HEADED TO UKRAINE TO TRAIN MED STUDENTS

BROOKLYN — AN EMERGENCY DOCTOR FROM MAIMONIDES HOSPITAL is leading a team of seven emergency physicians to Ukraine on Saturday to share life-saving skills with medical students and professionals there, CBS reports. Dr. Joshua Schiller, Director of Social Emergency Medicine at Maimonides, visited in April to see what the needs on the ground are.

The work is part of a charitable organization he helped found called International Medical Response. The doctors will stay in Ukraine for a week, and then continue to advise the Ukrainian medical students virtually.

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NYC AND LYFT PARTNER TO EXPAND CITY BIKE SYSTEM

CITYWIDE — THE CITY OF NEW YORK AND RIDE-SHARING GIANT LYFT WILL EXPAND AND IMPROVE THE CITY BIKE SYSTEM, as ridership record experiences highs, Mayor Eric Adams and DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez announced on Friday, Nov. 3. Citi Bike will double its electric bike fleet and pilot at least two electrified charging/docking stations by the end of next year, with plans to electrify 20% of stations in the coming years. Citi Bike, which has already added 2,800 classic bikes and replaced 2,200 existing bikes as a part of its Phase 3 expansion, will also introduce new price caps to its e-bike pricing model.

This fall, Lyft is partnering with DOT to run a reduced-fare bike share outreach and marketing campaign to expand community awareness about the Citi Bike membership program.

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FEDS INVESTIGATING IF ADAMS CAMPAIGN ‘CONSPIRED WITH THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT’

CITYWIDE — AFTER THURSDAY’S STARTLING REVELATION THAT THE FBI HAD RAIDED THE HOME of Mayor Eric Adams’ chief fundraiser — leading Adams to skip scheduled meetings with federal officials in D.C. about the migrant situation — yet another bombshell was dropped by the New York Times: Federal prosecutors and the F.B.I. are conducting a “broad public corruption investigation” into whether Adams’s 2021 election campaign “conspired with the Turkish government to receive illegal foreign donations.” Investigators are also looking at the possible involvement of a Brooklyn construction company with ties to Turkey, and a small university that has ties to both Turkey and Adams.

At a Day of the Dead celebration in NYC Thursday night, Adams said, “I have not been contacted by anyone from any law enforcement agency, and that’s why I came back from D.C., to be here, to be on the ground and look at this inquiry as it was made,” according to a transcript of the event made available by City Hall.

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FDNY: GET A FREE NATURAL GAS DETECTOR FROM CON EDISON

CITYWIDE — FDNY FIRE COMMISSIONER LAURA KAVANAGH ON THURSDAY URGED NYC RESIDENTS with Con Edison accounts to take advantage of free natural gas detectors available from the company. The detectors alert residents to dangerous levels of natural gas and simultaneously notify Con Edison’s Gas Emergency Response Center and FDNY of a potentially explosive gas leak. To schedule a free installation, call Con Edison at 1-800-643-1289, select option #4, or email [email protected].

If your gas alarm sounds or you smell a natural gas leak, evacuate immediately and call 911 when safely outside, Kavanagh said in a release. Natural gas has a distinctive, strong odor, like rotten eggs.