Michael Gersch of the 49th Precinct slapped handcuffs on a pair of stick-up kids on Wednesday, August 5 at the intersection of Eastchester Road and Mace Avenue.
Abdoullah Kaswani, 16, of Yorktown and Mohammad Alkiswani, 21, of Morgan Avenue, jumped out of a gold sedan and brandished a gun at Keith Beniquez, who surrendered his Sidekick phone, court documents state. Why Kaswani and Alkiswani ended up at Eastchester and Mace is unclear. The pair pled not guilty to robbery, criminal possession of a weapon and grand larceny on Thursday, August 6.
Kaswani stood next to Beniquez, court documents state. Alkiswani cocked a black gun. The 49th Precinct later found a loaded .22 Walther in the trunk of the sedan.
“Give me your phone,” Alkiswani said.
Neither the owner of Battaglia’s Meat Market nor his employees were aware that the mugging had occurred.
“I’m surprised it happened there,” said Vinny Prezioso of the Northeast Bronx Community Association.
Gene Tuturo of the Chester Civic Association wasn’t surprised. Young men loiter at Eastchester and Mace, in front of a deli, he said. They double-park. Tuturo has alerted the 49th Precinct again and again, he said.
An employee at Casa Doro Deli wasn’t aware that the mugging had occurred but did mention a recent break-in at Wireless Planet, also on Eastchester. Someone broke through a back window at the cellular store to swipe phones and cash. It was the second break-in at Wireless Planet in a matter of months; someone picked the front door lock as well.
Two weeks ago, a pair of young men lifted phones from Wireless Planet during business hours, employee Shak Moh said. Gersch found Kaswani and Alkiswani sitting in the sedan. He also found Beniquez’ phone. Alkiswani lives two blocks away. He wanted to fight, Beniquez stated.
“I can’t sleep,” Alkiswani allegedly said. “I’m not going to leave until I fight your friend. Where does your friend live?”
Then Alkiswani pulled the gun, Beniquez stated.
“The cops in the 49th are doing a great job,” Greeley said.
Prezioso will ask the Northeast Bronx Association civilian patrol to watch the intersection of Eastchester and Mace.
“I want to put the kibosh on it,” Prezioso said.
