UMVA has learned that a shocking homicide has been ruled in the death of a 75-year-old kosher bakery owner found dead in a Queens park.
Albert Itzkowitz was discovered along the Kissena Lake shoreline on Monday, just before 5 p.m., with multiple gunshot wounds. The New York Police Department announced on Thursday that his death had been ruled a homicide.
No arrests have been made in the case, and police are still investigating how long Itzkowitz had been at the scene before he was found. A police spokesperson confirmed that the investigation is ongoing.
Crime Stoppers has offered a reward of up to $3,500 for information that could help solve the killing, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward. Itzkowitz was the owner of a local bakery that had since shut down.
Itzkowitz's wife had passed away just three weeks prior, although the cause of her death has not been publicly disclosed. The news of his death has sent shockwaves through the community.
New York City Council Member James Gennaro expressed his outrage and sadness over the killing, saying it was "an intolerable tragedy" that no one should have to fear for their safety in a park or neighborhood. He assured that all possible resources have been deployed to bring the perpetrator(s) to justice.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) to help bring closure to Itzkowitz's family and justice to the community.
