Once-idyllic section of Queens sees murders rise 62% in just a year

Once a quiet area of Queens, known for its safety, is now grappling with a shocking 62% increase in homicides this year — making it the only NYPD district in the city to report a rise in such incidents, according to new data from the police.

So far, 21 individuals have lost their lives in Queens North, which covers eight precincts across neighborhoods like Forest Hills, Flushing, Astoria, and Elmhurst, compared to just 13 during the same period last year.

Moreover, the region has recorded a worrying 60% escalation in gunshot victims this year, reaching 31, up from 20 in the prior year.

Among the most jarring incidents was the murder of a teenager in Jackson Heights, occurring at the intersection of the 115th and 110th Precincts.

Edwin Cruz-Gomez, a 38-year-old illegal immigrant, allegedly struck 15-year-old Jhoanny Alvarez with his 2009 Chevy Suburban after making unwanted advances toward her and her mother on September 13, according to police reports.

Authorities indicated that the Honduran man, who was under the influence, engaged in a physical confrontation with the teen, her mother, and two other family members.

Following the altercation, Cruz-Gomez sped onto the sidewalk, intentionally hitting the teen, her mother, and another family member, according to law enforcement officials. He now faces murder charges.

After being expelled from the U.S. in 2005, Cruz-Gomez re-entered the country illegally. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained him following a DUI arrest in Long Island in 2013, but he was released into an alternative program and subsequently vanished, as reported by federal authorities.

A tragic incident also unfolded on September 12 in the 115th Precinct, where a 21-year-old woman was shot multiple times while fleeing into a building on 96th Street near Astoria Boulevard, the residence she shared with her aunt and grandmother.

Officials revealed that Dashanna Donovan had broken free from an abusive relationship with a man back in South Carolina, who is now under suspicion for her murder.

In an emotional interview, her mother, Helena Hypolite, expressed her distress, explaining that she tried to shield her daughter from her ex-partner, who “approached her and surprised her” outside their home.

“She screamed and ran inside,” her devastated mother recounted. “He pursued her down and shot her five times while she was in the bathroom. His intent was to kill her.”

The suspect, whose identity is currently withheld, had reportedly inflicted severe abuse on Donovan in the past, allegedly using a rake and a hose, resulting in significant injuries, according to her mother.

As of Friday, there have been no arrests in the case.

“I miss my daughter so much,” Hypolite lamented. “I will never be the same. Every time the doorbell rings, my six-year-old asks, ‘Is that Deshanna?’”

In the typically tranquil 112th Precinct, 19-year-old Jean Rios was found deceased in the street, having sustained a gunshot wound to his chest near 64th Road and Grand Central Parkway at 7:40 PM on September 28. Authorities have not made any arrests or disclosed the motive behind the shooting.

This increase in violent crime might be attributed to intensified police efforts in bordering districts, suggests Michael Alcazar, a retired NYPD detective and adjunct professor at John Jay College.

“Traditionally, Queens North precincts have been viewed as relatively secure… and many of these areas may not be prepared for frequent gun violence or homicides,” Alcazar explained to The Post. “It’s conceivable that violent offenses are being redirected from other boroughs that are actively addressing their high-crime neighborhoods.”

Detectives from specialized units, including gang, narcotics, and vice squads, are also being reassigned to foot patrols to curb crime in other regions, he noted.

“Consequently, their focus has shifted from proactive crime prevention to reactive measures,” he added.

NYPD spokesperson Brad Weekes highlighted that the Patrol Borough Queens North has the third-lowest murder and shooting rates in the city, only surpassed by Manhattan South and Staten Island.

“The NYPD will persist in deploying officers to the areas that need them most to ensure safety for residents and maintain gun violence at historically low levels across the city,” Weekes affirmed.

City Councilman Robert Holden (D-Maspeth) attributed the violence spike to a shortage of police officers, noting ongoing challenges in recruiting and keeping law enforcement personnel.

“It’s truly the lack of police presence that permits individuals to act impulsively and take matters into their own hands,” he remarked. “I haven’t witnessed conditions this dire in a long time, and I’ve been around since the city’s rougher days.”