Cars pelted with eggs in eastern Queens

From CBS 2:

Queens car owners are waking up to a sticky, slimy mess as their vehicles were the targets of eggings.

CBS2’s Jennifer McLogan reported residents in Whitestone are getting heated over the destructive spree that has been going on for the past two weeks.

Police said most of the complaints have come from owners of parked cars, but video posted on YouTube can show how dangerous it can be for the driver to be hit by a hurled egg.

"Copycat arsonist" arrested

From CBS:

A man has been arrested on arson charges for allegedly setting fire to three garbage cans in Flushing, Queens last week.

Samer Shuaib, 36, of Queens, was charged with arson and criminal mischief in the incidents last week, police said.

The fires were all set between 11:49 p.m. and midnight on Wednesday, in garbage cans on the side of 69-02 Austin St., opposite 69-30 Austin St., and in front of 68-40 Austin St., police said.

No injuries were reported in any of the incidents.

Police sources told CBS2 Shuaib told investigators he was intoxicated and in a bad mood at the time of the incidents. He told investigators walked past a dumpster and smelled something foul, so he decided to light it on fire, sources said.

Shady contractor busted

From Douglaston Patch:

A 59-year-old Long Island man has been accused of bilking six Queens residents, who paid the defendant more than $500,000 to make repairs to their homes, the Queens district attorney said.

Wayne T. Drinkwine, 59, of St. James, L.I., was arraigned Aug. 19 before Queens Criminal Court Judge Gene Lopez on charges of grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and criminal mischief, Queens DA Richard Brown said.

He had been indicted on similar charges the day before by a Queens Supreme Court grand jury, but more counts were then added. The case will be tried in the Supreme Court, a DA spokesman said.

The defendant, who also goes by the name Duke Russo, could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted, the DA said.

“The victims in this case, it is alleged, hired the defendant in some instances more than three years ago and paid him considerable amounts of money to remodel their residences,” Brown said. “Instead, it is alleged that he began demolition work on their properties and then took the money and ran.”

Parker guilty of misdemeanors

From Capitol Tonight:

A jury has found Sen. Kevin Parker guilty of two misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief and he faces two years in jail, Josh Robin of NY1 reports.

That means the Brooklyn Democrat will not automatically lose his seat, which would have occurred had he been found guilty of a felony.

However, as you’ll recall, former Sen. Hiram Monserrate’s colleagues set a precedent when they expelled him in the wake of his conviction on a misdemeaor charge of assaulting his girlfriend.

So, it will be interesting to see how senators rationalize not seeking to oust Parker from the chamber (assuming they don’t).