Two off-duty NYCHA employees arrested on gang-related assault charges

EAST HARLEM, NY – Two off-duty New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) employees were arrested and charged with multiple gang assaults in connection with an incident in East Harlem on Monday, according to police.

The arrests took place within the boundaries of the 23rd District, which serves the East Harlem neighborhood. Diamond Minter, 34, and Travor Nurse, 40, were both taken into custody on Oct. 7, authorities said.

Minter was charged with one count of second-degree gang assault, while Nurse is charged with two counts of second-degree gang assault and another count of assault on a victim 65 years old or older. Details of the incident that led to the charges have not been released.

Both individuals are employed by NYCHA, but it was not immediately clear whether the alleged attack was related to their employment.

The investigation is ongoing and no further information has been provided regarding the status of the defendants or the condition of the victim.

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY – A Port Jefferson Station couple was sentenced this week for their involvement in the fatal stabbing of a 39-year-old man on the Setauket-Port Jefferson Station Greenway Trail in 2021, Suffolk District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced County, known .

Jose Martinez-Vazquez, 25, was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for the murder of Benjamin Flores-Mendez, while his girlfriend Tiffany Diaz-Cabrera, 21, was sentenced to 15 years for manslaughter after acting as a lookout during the attack .

Martinez-Vazquez pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on July 25 and admitted to fatally stabbing Flores-Mendez multiple times on June 17, 2021, when the victim came on the trail. Diaz-Cabrera, who admitted to being on lookout during the attack, pleaded guilty April 22 to first-degree manslaughter. Both were arrested in March 2023 following an investigation by Suffolk County Police.

“The lengthy prison sentences imposed on both defendants reflect the seriousness of their crimes and our commitment to public safety,” Tierney said in a statement. He added that the attack “shocks our citizens to their core.”

Martinez-Vazquez was sentenced on August 28, 2024, while Diaz-Cabrera was sentenced on October 7, 2024. Both sentences include post-release supervision.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Elena Tomaro and Tara Laterza, and the investigation was led by Suffolk County Detective James Hughes.

PHILADELPHIA – A 54-year-old man was shot and killed by an off-duty Philadelphia police officer late Thursday night after a roadside altercation in Northeast Philadelphia, authorities said.

The incident occurred around 11:30 p.m. on October 3 near the intersection of Willits Road and Holme Avenue. Officers from the 8th Police District responded to the scene after receiving reports of an off-duty officer-involved shooting.

Preliminary findings indicate that the shooting followed an altercation between Detective Christopher Sweeney and the victim, identified as Robert Jones. The two men reportedly stopped their vehicles in the roadway before Jones got out and approached Sweeney’s vehicle on foot.

Sweeney, who was in his personal vehicle, fired several shots, striking Jones.

Philadelphia Fire Department paramedics transported Jones to Jefferson-Torresdale Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Authorities have not yet revealed what led to the confrontation between the two men.

The Philadelphia Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division and the District Attorney’s Office are conducting a joint investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Because the investigation is ongoing, officials have not released any further details about the incident.