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Crime & Safety

Crimes Nearby: West Hempstead Man Arrested for Murder

A rundown of this past week's police & fire stories on neighboring Patch sites.

The following information was supplied by the Nassau County, Lynbrook, Long Beach and Rockville Centre police departments. A criminal charge is only an accusation, and does not indicate convictions.

A West Hempstead man was arrested Thursday night for allegedly murdering a man outside National Wholesale Liquidators.

Find out what's happening in Five Townswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Nassau County Police's Homicide Squad arrested Bruny E. Fenelon, 30, of West Hempstead, at 10:55 p.m. According to detectives, Fenelon was involved in an argument with another man in the back parking lot of the Hempstead Turnpike store. When the argument escalated, Fenelon allegedly began to punch and kick the 39-year-old victim, which resulted in his death. 

Several patrol cars and emergency vehicles descended upon the parking lot of  in West Hempstead around 9 p.m., where they found the victim lying on the sidewalk in a pool of blood, according to an eyewitness. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police are withholding his name pending family notification.  

Find out what's happening in Five Townswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Fenelon allegedly fled the scene on foot but was later arrested at his home, also located on Hempstead Turnpike. He is being charged with second degree murder.

An investment advisor and former Long Beach resident, Thomas Qualls, who fled to Canada before he was convicted of a $900,000 fraud in 2008, was charged with jumping bail in Brooklyn federal court Tuesday.

Qualls, 43, who was extradited last week after he was arrested in a Montreal subway station in March 2009, fled the day summations were scheduled before U.S. District Judge Dora Irizarry on charges he defrauded customers of his Garden City-based foreign currency business, conspiracy and obstruction of justice, according to Newsday.

Irizarry, who ordered Qualls held without bail and set his sentencing for Dec. 19, sarcastically said to him in court Tuesday:

"Welcome back to the United States.”

Qualls’ attorney and a prosecutor said the charge of jumping bail will be resolved by a plea.

The three Rockville Centre teens who allegedly  on Roxen Road in June recently appeared in Nassau County District Court, and their cases were adjourned until a later date, according to District Court officials.

, both 18, will be back in court on Aug. 14, while , 18, will appear on Sept. 25.

John R. Lewis, Jr., the attorney for Matt DiPerna, recently spoke with Patch to  give his client's side of the story.

"I believe these boys will be vindicated at the end of the day," Lewis said. "The real question is, this is an accusation. We don't punish people or run families out of town based on accusations."

Lewis was responding to  left on an RVC Patch article thread, where anonymous posters suggested punishments for the alleged attackers and their families.

"It is my contention that the alleged victim was not looking for an apology, but started the physical altercation," he said.

Read the rest of this story .

Woman Attacked, Robbed Outside of Valley Stream Apartment

Two men, one of whom was armed with a handgun, attacked a woman last Saturday as she walking to her car outside her Valley Stream apartment and stole her purse, according to police.

At about 7 a.m. on July 28, the 26-year-old victim was exiting her Rockaway Avenue apartment when the two perpetrators approached her, police said. After demanding her pocketbook, the victim struggled with the subjects. One of the men grabbed her by the throat and held her from behind.

After dropping her bag, the subjects grabbed it and fled southbound on Rockaway Avenue, police said. The victim was uninjured.

The first subject is described as black, 30 years old, 6 foot 1 inches with a dark complexion, muscular build and a large nose. He was wearing a brown hoodie and a white cloth band that covered his mouth and chin.

The second subject is described as black, 5 foot 7 inches with a muscular build. He had a completely masked face and was wearing white gloves.

Detectives request that anyone with information regarding this robbery should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.

For more crime, click the following links: , , Rockville Centre and ,

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