Mother and child killed inside Bay Shore apartment, Woman killed in fire, and more news headlines for LI for December 26th, 2011

LongIsland.com

Mother and 2-Year-Old Killed Inside Their Bay Shore Home; Woman Killed in Christmas Blaze, Burglary Team Runs Scams on Elderly; Partner of Slain NYPD Officer Receives Promotion; Five Charged with Vandalizing Vehicles

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Mother and 2-Year-Old Killed Inside Their Bay Shore Home

Shakeela Planter and her two year-old son, Jaiden, were found dead inside their basement apartment around 5pmFriday night. Shakeela’s landlord, who lived in the house above the apartment, noticed that the twenty one-year-old women had not been seen in a few days which prompted him to check on her. He discovered Shakeela’s body in her bedroom, already passed, and called police, who found the body of her son in separate room. Though authorizes will not release information of how the two were killed Detective Lt. Gerard Pelkofsky has said “it’s obviously not from natural causes,” and is considering a homicide investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Suffolk County Police homicide squad at (631) 852-6392.

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Woman Killed in Christmas Blaze

Suffolk County detectives are investigating a fire that began in the early hours of Christmas day, taking the life of a Selden Women. The Selden Fire Department responded to report of a fire around 1:30am in the St. Joseph’s Village Apartment Complex. After extinguishing the flames Marie Mahoney, 69, was found by firefighters in her bedroom and pronounced dead at the scene. Though investigators are unsure of the origin of the fire they do not believe it began as a criminal act.

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Burglary Team Runs Scam on Elderly

A West Hempstead man’s home was burglarized Friday morning as a he was distracted by conversation with a woman who had come knocking on his window. Around 11am the 81-year-old victim heard the women knocking on his glass then proceeding to open the front door for her. The woman, described as Hispanic, 5’6” with a medium build and a lazy or droopy eye, drew the elderly man away from the door while a burglar broke in and stole cash along with other items. Nassau County police have been investigating two similar burglaries in Massapequa where elderly residents were distracted while their homes were broken in to. The women was last seen walking south on South Cherry Valley Avenue toward a red compact car, which the West Hempstead victim had seen parked outside of his home.

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Partner of Slain NYPD Officer Receives Promotion

The partner of NYPD officer Peter Figoski, who was killed earlier this month after responding as back up to a reported break-in into a Brooklyn apartment, has been promoted to detective. At the promotion ceremony on Friday, Glenn Estrada, Figoski’s partner, was commended on his “extraordinary bravery” by police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. Five men are being held without bail in connection with the robbery. All five have pleaded not guilty, including shooting suspect Lamont Pride, who had been apprehended by Estrada the night of the break-in after Pride had shot Figoski.

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Five Charged with Vandalizing Vehicles

Suffolk County police began receiving calls around 9pm Friday night about car windows that had been shattered in the Coram, Middle Island, and Ridge areas. A description of a vehicle and license plate were given to police who then found a vehicle matching the description at a BP gas station on Middle Country Road in Ridge around 12:30am. A bb gun was recovered from inside the vehicle. Five men were arrested, four of which had been inside the vehicle upon is discovery, and charged with criminal mischief while three received additional charges of making graffiti and possession of graffiti instruments.

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