A murder in Zerega has a community concerned.
A 40-year-old man was fatally shot on a quiet block of private homes, near 2231 Glebe Avenue.
The 45th Precinct received a call of an incident at 2:08 a.m. on Wednesday, August 3, according to the NYPD.
When they arrived, the victim, identified by police as Vivian Connell, a Parkchester resident, was found shot in the left shoulder. He later expired at Jacobi Medical Center, stated an official.
As of press time, the investigation was ongoing and there have been no arrests.
Cops flooded the street after the incident, and were on the scene for much of August 3, said resident Dorothy Krynicki.
She frequently walks her dog in the area, she said, where Glebe Avenue, Doris Street and Lyon Avenue converge.
“(In) the morning, the cops were swarming all over, going into yards and looking into everybody’s bushes,” said Krynicki. “They literally were going up and down every block, looking in front yards; they were out in full force.”
Police secured the area and brought in its forensic team.
The incident comes on the heels of a shooting at nearby Pearly Gates Park on Sunday, June 12 where a teenager was shot in the head, she said.
“I am a little upset,” said Krynicki about the latest crime, “it was two in the morning (and) what were they up to?”
She said the location where the crime took place was an unusual one because it was not near a street with commercial activity, such as Zerega Avenue.
“I think this crime is horrific,” said community activist Lou Rocco of the murder. “It is craziness; it is insanity.”
Edward Perez, who lives in Zerega, said he was not entirely surprised by what happened.
He said that while it was a good community, he was looking to move into a different area to raise his family.
“It seems like the likelihood of something like this happening is a little bit higher,” said Perez.
A nearby property owner, Hector Colon, said that the area is generally quiet.
“I have been here 31 years, and I feel pretty safe,” said Colon.
Another source with knowledge of the investigation said that police believe that the victim and his murderer may have known one another, and that cops had a good idea who the perpetrator is.
In an unrelated incident, an assault was reported on nearby Overing Street just days later on Friday, August 5, according to the NYPD.
Four men assaulted a single 49-year-old victim as he was walking past the group at 10:34 a.m., with the four punching the victim repeatedly, according to the NYPD.
The victim, who suffered many non-life threatening injuries, was admitted to Jacobi Medical Center.
