Bronx news Roundup, Oct.6

The Bronx Zoo has many tricks up its sleeve this year, with Halloween attractions for everyone.

Bronx resident Jose Soto decided to bring color to his neighborhood by building a casita that would remind him of his home in Puerto Rico. Today, it is one of the oldest houses in the city and was featured as the centerpiece in the 1991 exhibit “Las Casitas: An Urban Cultural Alternative.” An updated version of the exhibit, to mark its 20th anniversary, opens tonight at the Longwood Art Gallery at Hostos Community College.

The Bronx knows what’s cooking: 30 restaurants in the borough made the pages of Zagat’s 2011 best dining guide. Some of the newcomers joining the list this year include Italian restaurant Ann & Tony’s on Arthur Avenue, the Chinese restaurant New Hawaii Sea on Westchester Square, and NYY Steak at 161st Street.

Asian Bronx immigrants say they have had enough of the assaults they call hate crimes. At a press conference yesterday, residents demanded more police patrol in the Parkchester area, saying Bangladeshi immigrants there have suffered 25 assaults over the past two months. Police, however, argue there isn't enough evidence to support that the attacks were biased.

Video confession of a 25-year-old woman admitting she killed a beloved grandmother may be enough evidence to convict her, prosecutors say.

The African-rooted percussion and dance tradition bomba y plena is being celebrated at Hostos Center for Arts and Culture this week at BomPlenazo, with a new performer taking the stage every night through Sunday.

The body of a missing pregnant woman was found yesterday in a car parked next to a Bronx police station.

The New York Times and NBC's "Today Show," shadowed a college admissions officer as he visited two Bronx high schools, Dewitt Clinton and Bronx Science.  Video at the link.