Cops Use Smartphones To Collar Suspect In November Murder
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A suspect in the murder of a man in Brooklyn last fall was apprehended this week, after police saw him walking on the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway platform and matched him to a wanted poster.
Plainclothes officers from the NYPD Transit District 34 Anti-Crime unit were patrolling the elevated subway terminal in Coney Island, Brooklyn around 5 p.m. Thursday, when they saw a man walking along the Q Train platform, police said.
As CBS2's Jessica Schneider reported, new equipment aided officers in making the arrest.
They recognized the man from a wanted poster they pulled up on their department-issued smartphone, and arrested him on the spot, police said.
Before police spotted Euzebelin Abellard, 33, of Brooklyn, all they knew was that he looked like a sketch that came out three months ago.
Abellard was charged with murder, criminal use of a firearm, and criminal possession of a weapon in the shooting that killed Jean Claude Bernagene, 51, in East Flatbush, police said.
Around 5:40 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, police were called to 1051 New York Ave. in East Flatbush, where they found Bernagene lying wounded on the ground in the front yard, police said.
Bernagene had suffered gunshot wounds to the chest, right knee and right wrist, police said. He was rushed to Kings County Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead at 8:21 p.m. that Sunday, police said.
Officers initially arrested Abellard for spitting on the platform -- a quality of life violation. Once they nabbed him, they were able to charge him with the November murder.
Police have not released any information about a motive.