New York News

Georgia man arraigned for rapes in Queens from 1995 to 1997

QUEENS, NY – Michael Benjamin was arraigned today on multiple charges including rape, sodomy, and burglary for allegedly assaulting five women from 1995 to 1997. He was originally indicted in 2005 as an unidentified suspect, John Doe, based on collected evidence.

In May, DNA evidence from a discarded cup found in the Rockdale County Sheriff’s office in Georgia matched DNA samples retrieved from the victims during the investigations. Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz cited the bravery of the victims in bringing the case forward.

Benjamin, 57, of Conyers, Georgia, faces a 17-count indictment that includes five counts of rape in the first degree, four counts of sexual abuse in the first degree, and two counts of robbery in the first degree. Supreme Court Justice Gia Morris remanded him and scheduled his next court appearance for December 5.

According to the indictment, the defendant is linked to a series of violent crimes in Jamaica, St. Albans, Laurelton, and Brookville during the late 1990s. Katz stated that “after several decades, this defendant will finally face charges of violently raping at least five women.”

The indictment details four specific incidents involving five victims. On July 24, 1995, Benjamin broke into a home and attacked a woman while she slept. On August 24, 1996, he assaulted another woman at her home.

A third incident occurred on September 16, 1996, when he forced a woman inside her house at gunpoint and assaulted her. The final incident, on February 8, 1997, involved two victims who were attacked in their home.

Benjamin was apprehended in Georgia on September 22 and extradited to New York on October 15. The investigation was conducted by the NYPD Cold Case Squad.

This case underscores the ongoing efforts of law enforcement to pursue justice, regardless of how much time has passed.

A man accused of a string of violent rapes in the 1990s finally faces justice in Queens.

Brutal Coney Island shooting leaves grandmother dead, killer sentenced

BROOKLYN, NY – A man has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the murder of a construction worker in a shooting outside a job site in Coney Island. Malik Fryar, 34, shot and killed 53-year-old Dorothy Dixon and wounded another worker on February 4, 2019.

District Attorney Eric Gonzalez stated, “This was a senseless act of violence that took the life of a hardworking woman, devastating her family.” The incident occurred when Fryar approached a group of workers and engaged in an argument over job opportunities.

Fryar was found guilty of second-degree murder on September 3, following a jury trial. He was sentenced by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Phyllis Chu.

According to the investigation, Fryar arrived at the job site with his wife in the passenger seat. After a heated exchange, he returned to his vehicle, retrieved a firearm and shot multiple times at the group, hitting Dixon multiple times.

Dixon was pronounced dead at the hospital, and another worker sustained injuries while fleeing the scene. Fryar fled the site and later attempted to hide from police in an apartment in Manhattan, where he was arrested on July 17, 2019.

The car used by Fryar was recovered a month later, abandoned about five miles away in Brighton Beach. The District Attorney thanked members of the team involved in the investigation.

The case was prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Christopher Mirabella and Assistant District Attorney Khrystyna Sahin, supervised by Homicide Bureau Chief Leila Rosini.

Fryar’s actions have shocked the community as justice is served for a tragic loss.