Arrest in Kingsbridge Heights Cab Driver Murder

Police just announced that 19-year-old Hosny Hernandez has been arrested today and charged with the murder of 48-year-old cab driver Cesar Santos, who was gunned down on June 6 while chasing after two fare beaters in Kingsbridge Heights.

Police said they received a tip that led to the arrest of Hernandez, who was identified through surveillance video in surrounding area. The mayor's office was offering a $10,000 reward, in addition to the $2,000 reward being offered by the NYPD, for information leading to an arrest in this case.

Santos, a Dominican immigrant, husband and father of three who lives in North Fordham, near the Grand Concourse and Kingsbridge Road, was shot just outside of Our Lady of Angels Church on Sedgwick Avenue. He died soon after being transported to St. Barnabas Hospital.

Police originally said they were looking for two suspects in connection with the crime. 

Here's our previous coverage. And look for more on this story in the Norwood News, out on streets tomorrow afternoon.

Farebeaters Sought in Murder of Bronx Cab Driver

Some more details are emerging about the  shooting that left a livery cab driver dead on Sunday afternoon

According to witnesses, the cab driver, Cesar Santos, a 48-year-old Dominican immigrant (pictured, right), dropped off two young Hispanic men in front of Our Lady of Angels church on Sedgwick Avenue a few minutes before 2 p.m.

When the two men jumped out of the cab without paying, Santos chased after them, leaving his car double parked.

(Police say they are looking for the suspect shown in the below photo. The other suspect's face is obscured by a headrest. Police say both suspects were wearing white tank tops and dark shorts.)

In the process of running them down the two alleged farebeaters on some stairs that led down to Kingsbridge Terrace (pictured in photo below), one of them pulled out a gun and shot Santos in the stomach.

Santos was rushed to St. Baranabas Hospital, but would not survive the gun shot wound. Local residents say the suspects looked familiar and that they may live in the Kingsbridge Heights area where Santos was murdered.

Santos, who's wife and three kids reportedly still live in his native Dominican Republic, was living in an apartment on the Grand Concourse, near Kingsbridge Road.

Detectives from the 50th Precinct are in charge of the investigation.

If anyone has any information, police say they should call, 1-800-577-TIPS. You can also submit tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers web site at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting tips to 274637 (crimes) then enter TIP577.

[Reporting and Photos by David Greene. Additional photos courtesy of the NYPD ]

Bronx News Roundup, September 1

The Espada chronicles continue: Yesterday, Senator Espada fired his deputy chief of staff, Onix A. Sosa, after the New York Times discovered that he supervises 35 low-income buildings in Manhattan and the Bronx that are in violation of over 7,oo0 housing codes. City Officials have declared over 1,000 of these violations to be immediately hazardous. Furthermore, Sosa's real estate brokers license was revoked in 2004 due to his failure to return rental deposits, but he continued to manage buildings. Espada claims that he knew nothing of Sosa's property managing record.

Sosa was also 14th District City Council candidate Yudelka Tapia's former campaign manager. Click here for our post about how Sosa left Tapia to work for Espada.

Since the Department of Homeless Services began moving homeless families with children into a new emergency shelter near Westchester Square, multiple business owners and local residents have voiced their frustration with New York City agencies cramming social service programs into their area. The Department of Homeless Services failed to notify the community before moving families into the new shelter. Currently, there are around 20 social service programs in the Westchester Square area.

Bronx BP Ruben Diaz, Jr. recently declared that the BOEDC handled their funds from the Community Benefits Agreement at the Gateway Mall correctly despite not accounting for $1.6 million out of the $1.8 million given to them by the developer, Related Companies. Read more here.

Yesterday, Charles McDowell, a Bronx resident was charged with the murder of Amadou Ndiaye, one of the Bronx livery cab drivers killed in a series of cab driver murders. McDowell was arrested for an attempted robbery when police found his gun to match the murder weapon used to kill Ndiaye. Police plan to protect cab drivers in the future by using "Operation Safe Cab," a program in which police search cabs for dangerous passengers.

Bronx News Roundup, August 31

Fordham Grocery and Convenience Store is one lucky store. Last Friday night, a winning Mega Millions Lottery Ticket worth $166.5 million was purchased at this grocery store located on West Fordham Road. The fortunate jackpot winner has yet to claim the prize, but Fordham Grocery and Convenience Store is already profiting-- since the big win their lottery ticket sales have soared.

In other storefront news, a South Bronx athletic store, CTG Athletics, donated a team's worth of baseball equipment to support the Iraqi National Baseball team in Baghdad. CTG official, Duke Covone, decided to make the monumental donation after watching a MSNBC news piece about the team and their lack of equipment.

A Bronx doctor is suing his former secretary for stealing over $400,000 of his money. The secretary, Louise Rander, confessed to the police that she forged the doctor's signature on checks to pay her personal expense bills.

After the three recent murders of Bronx livery cab drivers, the New York City Police Department is launching a new program: "Operation Safe Cab." According to the program, which comes into affect today, police will randomly stop certain livery cabs and search for dangerous passengers.

Yesterday, a block on Lydig Avenue between Holland and Wallace avenues in Morris Park was renamed Mother Teresa Way in honor of the late nun and the Bronx's prominent Albanian Community. Bronx BP Ruben Diaz, Jr. among other New York politicians attended the renaming ceremony.

A treasured painting of St. Faustina was stolen from Our Lady of Angels Church in Kingsbridge Heights. The painting, called "Divine Mercy" was taken from the Church last Sunday.

The New York Daily News published a profile of the Chappaqua Summer Scholarship Program-a program where Bronx high school students spend July taking classes and living with a host family in the suburbs.

Bronx News Roundup, August 28

Happy rainy Friday, everyone! Here's what's being written and reported about the Boogie Down:

So much for State Senator Pedro Espada's "good press" the other day. The Albany Times-Union reports that Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is looking into whether Espada lied on a grant application for his health care company.

Espada was seeking and awarded a $3 million grant to build a new diagnostic health center in the Bronx. The grant was frozen in late June when the state comptroller's office discovered that Espada's nonprofit company owed a significant amount of back taxes. When applying for the grant, Espada said his company, Comprehensive Community Development Corp. (known commonly as Soundview Health Network) did not more than $15,000 in back taxes, but the Times-Union reports that Soundview had a $185,00 IRS debt.

Lying on such an application can lead to fines, contract termination or even prison.

The NY Post reports that Espada's Soundview Health Network, which reportedly generates some $15 million in annual revenue, owes more than $1 million in back taxes.

Big news for Bronx environmental advocates: the Attorney General is giving $2 million to borough organizations to help them in their efforts to clean up the pollution in the Bronx River. The Point, a Hunt's Point group, is receiving $150,000 to build a green roof and track how much storm water it prevents from going into the river. The Bronx River Alliance is receiving funding for two projects. Here's more details from the Times' City Room blog.

NY1 video from the cab procession and memorial service held yesterday for the Bronx livery cab driver who was murdered on Sunday. It was one of three recent cab driver murders in the borough.

A man is suing the NYPD because they failed to contact him, or even look for him, after his sister died in her Bronx apartment.

Some commentary on the new coalition that is lobbying for the Yankees to live up to its promises to the community.

John Petro, an urban policy analyst, says requiring a living wage at a redeveloped Kingsbridge Armory mall is not to much to ask of the project's developers, The Related Companies.