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New York City police announced a property crime crackdown and several arrests Monday after a raid on a migrant robbery ring with ties to Venezuela and a method involving using powered scooters — as a group of suspects in an attack on the NYPD remains unaccounted for.
“In recent months, a wave of migrant crime has washed over our city, but by no means do the individuals committing these crimes represent the vast number of people coming to New York to build a better life,” NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban said during an afternoon news briefing.
He likened the gang to a group of ghosts — undocumented illegal immigrants with no phones, no social media and sometimes no known names or dates of birth.
Many of the suspects live in the migrant shelter system and recently arrived in the U.S., according to NYPD leaders.
NYPD RELEASES MIGRANT RAID PHOTOS AS SOFT-ON-CRIME LEADERS FACE NATIONAL OUTRAGE
A police display shows a group of suspects in the New York City robbery ring unveiled Monday. (Julia Bonavita/Fox News Digital)
Speaking at a news briefing Monday afternoon, NYPD leaders named eight suspects in connection with the ring: alleged mastermind Victor Parra, as well as Cleyber Andrada, Juan Uzcatgui, Yan Jimenez, Anthony Ramos, Richard Saledo, Beike Jimenez and Maria Manaura.
Parra would allegedly send out a notice for specific models of phones he wanted, linking crooks from around the Big Apple who may not have even known one another for robbery missions, police said. Next, they would steal scooters and hit the streets to swipe phones and purses away from victims.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams photographed after the raid Monday morning. (X/@NYPDDaughtry)
A “tech guy” would then allegedly hack the stolen phones, access banking and financial apps and drain the accounts, police said. If they ran dry or the owners placed a lock on their money, the stolen phones would then be sent around the country or to Colombia to be reprogrammed and sold.
ILLEGALS WHO CAUGHT BUS OUT OF NYC AFTER ATTACK ON POLICE MAY HAVE GOTTEN FREE RIDE FROM US TAXPAYERS: SOURCES
Police made a round of arrests late Sunday and served a search warrant in the Bronx early Monday morning, authorities said.
The warrant was on Parra’s home, but he wasn’t there. Police recovered 22 stolen phones and arrested the “tech guy” inside, however.
Most of the suspects lived in the city’s migrant shelter system, police said. The ring targeted four of the city’s five boroughs, with only Staten Island spared.
Assistant Commissioner Kaz Daughtry posted a series of photos Monday after the NYPD cracked down on a group of migrants suspected in a pattern robbery ring that victimized more than 60 people. (X/@NYPDDaughtry)
NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell told FOX 5 New York earlier in the day that a spike in robberies and purse snatching involving mopeds or scooters had a direct correlation with the current migrant crisis, which has overwhelmed the Big Apple.
“Big impact on crime, this migrant Venezuelan crew that’s preying on our city,” Chell said. “We cannot have this anymore. We’ve gotta stop it.”
NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell speaks to the media from the NYPD Headquarters in Manhattan, New York on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. Officials addressed the arrests of illegal immigrants early Monday morning linked to numerous gang robberies. (Julia Bonavita/Fox News Digital)
While police spoke sternly about the immigration problem, Adams blamed Republicans in Washington for the issue and noted that out of nearly 200,000 migrants and asylum seekers who have recently arrived in New York City, only a handful have been charged with the organized crime ring.
A migrant charged with assaulting two NYPD officers in Times Square flipped off reporters Wednesday. (Steven Hirsch/New York Post)
“Republicans have blocked real immigration reform for many years,” Adams said. “It is time for us to deal with this real issue that is impacting cities, not only New York.”
Separately, several of the suspects seen kicking a pair of NYPD officers in the head on security video last week have ties to a Venezuelan theft ring, according to law enforcement sources.
There was no firm connection between the robbery ring and the police assault, except that both groups had ties to Venezuelan nationals and the migrant shelters.
Separately, investigators said earlier Monday that the arrests were also tied to a “Venezuelan crew” suspected in more than 60 purse and phone robberies around the city. But there was no evidence that the two separate groups share a connection.
But critics say New York’s Democrat-led bail reforms, which allow many criminals to walk free shortly after their arrests, make any kind of law enforcement crackdown worthless.
Police taking a suspect into custody outside the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan. (FNTV)
Even Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul criticized the progressive Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg last week after his office failed to have the court set bail for almost all of the NYPD attack suspects.
MIGRANT ARRESTED IN SPAT WITH POLICE AFTER SHOWING OFF NYPD ATTACK VIDEO
Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams is pictured during briefing at the Javits Federal Building, New York City, April 17, 2023. (Luiz C. Ribeiro/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
“We all have a role here,” Adams told reporters. “The role of the police department is to arrest, the role of the prosecutors, is to prosecute, and the role of the federal government, if a person is found guilty of a crime, is to deport.”
When asked if he would be willing to dismantle New York’s sanctuary city policies, the mayor laughed and deflected.
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“There’s a law in this city that states what we can do with migrants and asylum seekers and undocumented,” he added. “That’s the law. I didn’t pass that law.”
The most recent police statistics, which cover the month of January, show a slight dip in crime compared to the same month in 2023.
Robberies, however, continue to climb — rising by 5.4% last month and 9% year over year as of Sunday morning.
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Local News
A Seekonk man is accused of murder after he allegedly shot and killed a man in Rhode Island before causing a car crash in Swansea that killed two people last week, police said.
Demitri Sousa, 28, is charged with murder, using a firearm while committing a crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license, the Cranston Police Department said.
The shooting occurred Thursday night in Cranston, police said in a press release.
That night, Sousa allegedly arrived at the Cranston home of Javon Lawson, 35. Sousa began banging on the side door of the home, police said.
When Lawson approached the door, he was hit by gunfire from outside, police said.
First responders transported Lawson to the Rhode Island Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Cranston police said.
“Based on the preliminary investigation, the motive is believed to be a dispute between the suspect and the victim over a mutual female acquaintance. Detectives are continuing this investigation to gain more insight, as well as to collect and analyze evidence,” Colonel Michael Winquist, Chief of Cranston police, said in an emailed statement to Boston.com.
Neighbors gave police video footage that “showed a male subject wearing dark clothing and a mask walking toward the residence moments before the shooting and fleeing immediately afterward,” Winquist said.
The suspect was also seen running to a white Infiniti sedan which then drove off, the Cranston police chief said.
Shortly after the shooting, a license plate reader captured the vehicle driving southbound on Route 10, and then later in Fall River and Westport, Massachusetts. The sedan’s license plate was registered in Sousa’s name, Winquist said.
At around 12:18 a.m. Friday, Swansea police spotted Sousa’s Infiniti barreling down Route 6, Swansea officials said.
Just moments later, Sousa allegedly “crashed into the side of another vehicle, a blue 2022 Subaru Ascent that had been traveling southbound on Route 136,” Swansea Police Chief Mark Foley and Fire Chief Eric Hajder said in a joint press release.
Both vehicles had “catastrophic damage,” and the struck car was engulfed in flames, the Swansea officials said.
The driver and passenger of the hit car — a man and a woman — were declared dead at the scene, they said.
“Swansea Police had been alerted to be on the lookout for the suspect vehicle. However, Swansea Police were not involved in the pursuit and were not pursuing the vehicle at the time of the crash,” the Swansea chiefs wrote. Swansea official have not announced charges related to the fatal crash.
Sousa had been driving the Infiniti and appeared to be suffering from serious injuries, Winquist said. Inside the car, police found a pistol and “additional .22 caliber ammunition was recovered” from Sousa at Rhode Island Hospital, Winquist said.
Police arrested Sousa and transported him to Rhode Island Hospital. Sousa is expected to survive, Winquist said. Sousa will be held in Cranston police custody until he is conscious and medically cleared, Winquist said.
“On behalf of the Cranston Police Department, I want to extend my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Javon Lawson and the two individuals who were killed in the crash in Swansea,” Winquist said.
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Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The Vermont Lottery offers several draw games for those willing to make a bet to win big.
Those who want to play can enter the MegaBucks and Lucky for Life games as well as the national Powerball and Mega Millions games. Vermont also partners with New Hampshire and Maine for the Tri-State Lottery, which includes the Mega Bucks, Gimme 5 as well as the Pick 3 and Pick 4.
Drawings are held at regular days and times, check the end of this story to see the schedule.
Here’s a look at March 1, 2026, results for each game:
Day: 8-7-7
Evening: 0-3-3
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Day: 1-8-1-2
Evening: 0-3-1-1
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
10-11-12-35-56, Bonus: 04
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
For Vermont Lottery prizes up to $499, winners can claim their prize at any authorized Vermont Lottery retailer or at the Vermont Lottery Headquarters by presenting the signed winning ticket for validation. Prizes between $500 and $5,000 can be claimed at any M&T Bank location in Vermont during the Vermont Lottery Office’s business hours, which are 8a.m.-4p.m. Monday through Friday, except state holidays.
For prizes over $5,000, claims must be made in person at the Vermont Lottery headquarters. In addition to signing your ticket, you will need to bring a government-issued photo ID, and a completed claim form.
All prize claims must be submitted within one year of the drawing date. For more information on prize claims or to download a Vermont Lottery Claim Form, visit the Vermont Lottery’s FAQ page or contact their customer service line at (802) 479-5686.
Vermont Lottery Headquarters
1311 US Route 302, Suite 100
Barre, VT
05641
Vermont’s 2nd Chance lottery lets players enter eligible non-winning instant scratch tickets into a drawing to win cash and/or other prizes. Players must register through the state’s official Lottery website or app. The drawings are held quarterly or are part of an additional promotion, and are done at Pollard Banknote Limited in Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Vermont editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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