Elmhurst resident Jack Rhodes, who was convicted of beating up and robbing three women (including a 101-year-old using a walker) was sentenced to 75 years in prison yesterday. Queens Supreme Court Justice Gregory Lasak said, "That comes out to about a year for every dollar you took from those people"—Rhodes managed to steal just $78 from the three muggings—"Your actions ...were reprehensible. It shocks the senses. I've never seen anything like it." more ›

A 47-year-old Elmhurst resident was convicted of beating up and robbing three women in 2006 and 2007—most notably a 101-year-old woman using a walker and an 85-year-old woman. Jack Rhodes, found guilty of "multiple charges of first-degree burglary, first- and second-degree robbery and second-degree assault," faces between 39 to 90 years in prison. more ›

Back in 2007, police arrested a man accused of brutally beating and mugging a 101-year-old woman and then an 85-year-old woman, but a 2008 trial ended in mistrial because the jury forewoman had some work/travel issues. Now, a second trial jury is deliberating the case again, after hearing from the prosecutors, who say Jack Rhodes was identified by witnesses, and Rhodes' lawyer who claims his client is being set up. Centenarian victim Rose Morat had taped her testimony early last year in case she couldn't make it to trial, but she's now 103! more ›

Last year, the vicious mugging attacks on two elderly women—one 101 years old (Rose Morat, pictured with bruises on her face), the other 85 years old—shocked the city and led to a police dragnet to find suspect Jack Rhodes. On Thursday, a mistrial was declared, after, the Daily News explains, "the juror forewoman cried about missing work and wanting to see her mother." The forewoman said, "This case has been taking a long time...I'm going to have to fly to see my mom." Rhodes, who faces up to 25 years in jail for the alleged muggings that net him $65 and some jewelry, will probably be retried; Morat, now 102, taped her testimony earlier this year. more ›

Rose Morat, the 101-year-old victim of a vicious mugging caught on surveillance tape last year, testified at a special videotaped hearing in a Queens courtroom yesterday. Morat will turn 102 next month and Queens prosecutors thought it would be prudent to make sure her testimony was recorded, as the actual case probably won't go to trial for another year. Morat didn't seem to take the precaution personally. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: an unusual trauma at Pennsylvania and Flatlands Aves. in Brooklyn, a church robbery on West 31st St. in Manhattan, and a found DOA on Furman St. at the piers in Brooklyn.
• State officials are now thinking that the best way to reincarnate the glory days of the old Penn Station is not to build two office towers on top of the Farley Post Office building.
• They've arrested the man who allegedly beat and robbed 101-year-old Rose Morat, but cops are now searching for another man who did the same to a 79-year-old grandmother in the elevator of her apartment building in Queens.
• Since the rack rate of the average hotel room in NYC is now about $350 a night, perhaps it was inevitable that we would see the proliferation of illegal hotels.
• The Atlantic City Sands Casino will be imploded Vegas-style next month, with accompanying fireworks by Grucci and a laser light show.
• Staring down a projected $3.6 billion budget deficit, Gov. Spitzer is pledging to not increase state spending by more than 5.3% or so next year.
• Mayors Bloomberg and Giuliani are both out of New York, remotely tugging over the mantle of 9/11 as their political legacy. Perhaps our next mayor will oversee the construction of something at the site of the World Trade Center.
• The number of New Yorkers on the Forbes 400 list of the richest Americans rose from 45 to 64, as that group's wealth jumped 370% from last year, to $224 billion. The city still has almost two million people living below the poverty line, however, so don't let the Forbes thing go to your head.

Jack Rhodes, the man suspected of robbing and beating elderly woman in Queens, was indicted yesterday on 35 charges of burglary, assault, robbery, and, yes, hate crimes. more ›

Jack Rhodes, who was arrested last week for allegedly beating up two elderly women in March, has been transfered to Rikers Island where corrections officials are trying to keep him safe. Rhodes is left in his own cell for 23 hours, except for an hour of exercise while a guard "shadows" him. According to the Daily News, a police sources says the private cell is because many prisoners "would like to take a pop at him." more ›

The New York Post is reporting that police have arrested the man who allegedly robbed and beat two elderly women in Queens last month. 44-year-old Jack Rhodes has been identified as the push-in robber and granny beater. The nearly six-foot-tall man weighing 200 pounds mugged two women for a collective $65, beating 101-year-old Rose Morat until he broke her cheekbone. The robberies solidified public opinion against the perpetrator, with legislators proposing special penalties for crimes against the elderly and 25,000 police officers viewing the surveillance tape of Morat's assault. more ›

101-year-old mugging victim Rose Morat wasn't intimidated by the thug who attacked her in her building last month, so she certainly wasn't going to be intimidated by a gang of press photographers and Mayor Bloomberg. Friday afternoon, the centenarian along with 85-year-old Solange Elizee met with the mayor to discuss what was being done to combat crime against the elderly. By turns Morat was a grandmotherly confidante with the Mayor: ""What’s your next step? Whisper it to me. I’ll tell you if I approve;" a stern schoolteacher, referring to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, who was sitting across the table from her: "Ask the police commissioner whether he is listening so we are all on the same page;" but always a lady, instructing the hovering cameramen and photographers: "You better take a good picture of me." If the police ever catch the man who beat and robbed Morat and Elizee, we are sure that he will rue the day he tangled with New York's toughest 101-year-old woman. more ›

The search for the man who mugged two elderly women continues, as the police and politicians expand their efforts. The police have increased the reward for tips that lead to the mugger's capture to $12,000, City Councilman James Gennaro is offering $5,000, City Councilman Thomas White Jr. is offering $1,000, and the 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care is offering $1,000. A lot of money given that the mugger stole $65, plus two rings. Additionally, State Senator Marty Golden is sponsoring a bill that will make attacks on seniors felonies, so prison sentences would be much harsher. But prison might be cake compared to what angry New Yorkers want to do to the scoundrel. more ›

Showing that the NYPD really hates cowards who punch out and mug elderly women with walkers, the entire police force is on alert to find the man who mugged two Queens seniors. Over 25,000 police officers have seen the video and there are "several dozen detectives assigned to the case," according to Newsday. Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne explained, "Considering the brutality of the attacks, and the fact the women appeared to be targeted because of their age and fragility, the Police Department is paying special attention to the case." He also said, "It's a vicious attack for a small amount of money." Indeed - the total haul was $65. more ›

News that a man had mugged 85-year-old and 101-year-old women in vicious attacks has infuriated New Yorkers all over the city. After the NYPD released surveillance footage of a man punching 101-year-old, walker-wielding Rose Morat, Police Commissioner Kelly vowed to pull out all the stops in trying to find the attacker. more ›

In an attempt to find a really twisted individual, police have released surveillance footage of a man attacking a 101-year-old woman in a building vestibule earlier this week. You can see the video here, and it's vicious. Rose Morat was returning from church around 12:30PM back to her Flushing apartment building when she saw a 30-something year-old man outside her building. From the Post:

"He looked pleasant and he had a beautiful smile," she said. more ›