NYC NEWS BRIEFS

NYPD: Man who shot at two cops arrested

The same day a New York City police officer from West Babylon was buried after being shot and killed in Brooklyn, the NYPD arrested a man for trying to shoot two other New York City officers, authorities said Monday.

Antonio Olmeda, 53, of Manhattan, was taken into custody Monday by police who said he fired twice at two officers on Dec. 2 when they approached him and asked to see identification near 37th Road and 76th Street in Jackson Heights, Queens.

Neither of those officers was hurt, and the gunman escaped.

"Our officers miraculously escaped injury when their assailant fired at extremely close range, narrowly missing them," NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said in a prepared statement.

When Olmeda was apprehended in Manhattan, no shots were fired, police said, but he was carrying a loaded .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun and ammunition. A snub-nosed .38-caliber revolver was also found in Olmeda's vehicle, police said.

He was charged Monday night with two counts of attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment.

-- BILL MASON

Mom to sue for boy's post-choking death

The mother of a 9-year-old Bronx boy who choked during lunch has filed a notice of intent to sue the city.

The attorney for Angela Jewth says the notice was filed Monday.

Howard Frederick says Jewth has heard conflicting accounts of the circumstances around her son Jonathan's choking. He was taken to the hospital Dec. 5 after choking in the lunchroom. He died a week later.

The city's law department declined to comment.

The Department of Education said nine staffers had undergone CPR training in November, and the school has a full-time nurse.

The city Medical Examiner's Office is investigating.

Singer hurt in Met show leaves hospital

Mezzo-soprano Wendy White is out of the hospital after falling over the weekend during a show at New York's Metropolitan Opera.

She fell about eight feet from a platform above the stage during Saturday's performance of Charles Gounod's "Faust." White suffered bruises but no broken bones.

Opera spokesman Peter Clark said that a hinge in a plank gave way as White was performing the role of Marthe.

The accident occurred during the third act. A curtain was brought down and intermission was announced. The performance resumed with a stand-in.

Toys, funds solicited for homeless animals

We've all heard of the holiday toy drives for kids in need.

A Manhattan group was holding its seventh annual holiday "dog toy drive" for homeless animals last night.

Dogs who already have humans were having their photos taken with Santa at the Mark Miller Gallery on the Lower East Side.

Besides the dog toys, people also were being asked to donate money to the Humane Society of New York.

111 FDNY emergency rescuers promoted

The FDNY promoted 111 EMS officers and paramedics Monday.

Fire Commissioner Salvatore J. Cassano presided over the promotion ceremony.

Eleven languages are spoken in the diverse group, including Spanish, Chinese, Mandarin, Cantonese and Creole. Eight members have served in the military.

Teen hurt while dismantling stage

A teen was critically injured in a forklift accident at a Brooklyn armory, authorities said Monday.

The boy, Yanky Stein, 17, was hurt about 6:30 p.m. Saturday in Williamsburg.

He was part of a crew dismantling a stage following a Saturday night event. It marked the 67th anniversary of Satmar Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum's escape from Hungary during the Nazi occupation.

Compiled from wire reports