🌱 Cop Stops Teen Theft In Woodside + Police Arrest Armed Robber

Hi there, Queens. I'm here in your inbox this morning to get you up to speed on everything you need to know about what's going on around town.

But first, today's weather:

Partly sunny. High: 43 Low: 32.

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Here are the top three stories today in Queens:

1. A cop is being commended for arresting two teens who were attempting to steal from a Woodside construction site. According to NYPD, Police Officer Steven Mercaldo and members of the precinct’s public safety team arrested two teens — Rafael Martes, 18, of Manhattan and Dylan Sanchez, 19, of 43rd Avenue in Long Island City — who were attempting to remove items from a construction site at 70-33 Queens Blvd., where a nine-story residential building is currently being built. The duo was charged with burglary and criminal trespassing following Tuesday’s incident. (Queens Post)
2. On Wednesday, a man was arrested in Long Island City after he took police on a chase following an armed robbery in Woodside. According to police, 36-year-old Jimmy Aris and an accomplice were busted for the attempted robbery of a 49-year-old man in front of Gleason Paints (located at 38-11 65th St. in Woodside). Police chased the suspect and stopped the vehicle at the corner of 21st Street and 46th Avenue in Long Island City at around 11:00 p.m. Aris’ arrest was captured on video, available at the link. (Queens Post)
3. On Thursday, a Queens man was sentenced to 36 months in prison for a multi-million dollar mass-mailing scheme that impacted thousands of people. Scott Gammon, whose scheme tricked consumers into paying fees for falsely promised cash prizes, has been ordered to forfeit $139,611.97. Two co-defendants, Christopher King and Natasha Khan, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud; they are both awaiting sentencing. (Justice.gov)

Today in and around Queens:

• Food Pantry: Corona Queens At 90-33 Corona Avenue, Elmhurst (11:00 AM)
• Work-N-Sip At QED. (12:00 PM)
• Composers Then And Now - An Interactive Concert For Kids At Church In the Gardens (4:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Luzzo’s Pizzeria in the Court Square section of Long Island City has closed its doors for good. (LIC Post)
• Controversial New York Congressman George Santos’ district office opened on Thursday at 242-09 Northern Blvd. in Douglaston. (QNS.com)
• MetroPlusHealth has launched its annual Lunar New Year celebrations to ring in the Year of the Rabbit, which begins on Jan. 22. Residents can visit the locations listed at the link — including the Queens Center Mall location at 90-15 Queens Blvd. in Elmhurst — during regular business hours from now through Feb. 12 to pick up red envelopes. (QNS.com)

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That's it for today. I'll see you around!

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a staff writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners. She is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, where she earned degrees in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies. In her free time, you can find her traveling, drinking tea, or practicing film photography.