Week In Review: Brooklyn Killing Spree, Anthem Flubs & Egypt
By Philip J. Victor, CBSNewYork.com
It was another busy week in the Tri-State area. The last few days have opened our eyes to revolution in the Middle East through the lenses of locals, shocked us with a deeply disturbing series of stabbings and had us reflecting on the actual words in our national anthem. Here are the stories that had people talking the week of 2/7 through 2/13:
Brooklyn Stabbing Suspect Caught Near Times Square
A 23-year-old Brooklyn man was accused in a stabbing spree that started in Sheepshead Bay and ended in Times Square. Police said Maksim Gelman took a knife to his stepfather, ex-girlfriend, and his ex-girlfriend's mother, killing them all. He's also accused of running over and killing a pedestrian in addition to stabbing two others, who survived. A nearly 28-hour manhunt ended with Gelman being caught aboard a 3 Train at Times Square Station. It was an incident that Police Commissioner Ray Kelly called "horrendous and bizarre" and one that was said to have started over an argument Gelman had with his mother over driving the family Lexus. VIDEO
Tri-State Egyptian Americans Celebrate Ouster Of Mubarak
Many Egyptian-Americans in our area were overjoyed and celebrated in the streets after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak left office. The resignation of Mubarak, who had been in power for 30 years, brought crowds to Steinway Street in Astoria's "Little Egypt" and had ex-pats in Jersey City looking forward to a new beginning in their homeland. "Thank God for this change, and I hope for the best for all Egyptians and for all people all over the world," said one man. VIDEO
N.Y. Congressman Resigns After Craigslist Episode
The Craigslist ad of a Buffalo Congressman had Tri-State residents talking and led to the quick resignation of Rep. Christopher Lee. Lee, a married, 46-year-old Republican lawmaker, stepped down after the website Gawker posted a story featuring a photo of the shirtless congressman along with what are believed to be email exchanges with a woman browsing a "women seeking men" ad on Craigslist. Gawker reported that Lee lied to the woman and told her he was divorced. Lee resigned this week and in a statement said: "I have made profound mistakes and I promise to work as hard as I can to seek [my family, my staff and my constituents'] forgiveness." VIDEO
Christina Aguilera Offered Another Shot At National Anthem
After botching a line of the national anthem on the world's biggest stage, Staten Island native Christina Aguilera was offered the chance to redeem herself – albeit at a much less prominent venue. The Brooklyn Cyclones have invited Aguilera to perform the "The Star-Spangled Banner" before one of its minor league games this summer. Said Cyclones general manager Steve Cohen: "when a player makes a mistake, they usually don't get a shot at redemption, but with a singer, that's a different story." No word if Aguilera will take the team up on the offer. PHOTO GALLERY
Queens Mom Gets Shocker With Dora, Diego X-Rated Movie
When a Queens mom bought her kids a couple of DVDs featuring Nickelodeon cartoon stars Dora the Explorer and Diego, she said she got much more than she bargained for. According to the woman, "All Star Sports Day Featuring Diego" turned out to be the X-rated "Bubble Butt Bonanza." Said the mother: "my sons were quiet for about 15 minutes then all of a sudden I heard "Ma!"
SOUND-OFF: Was there a bigger local story that we missed? You can let us know which one and share your thoughts on the week that was in the comments section...
