106th Precinct Cop of the Month Jennifer Martinez last Wednesday received her award and congratulations from Dep. Inspector Jeffrey, Schiff, commanding officer of the 106th, and precinct Community Council President Frank Dardani.
Photo Courtesy of 106th Precinct
The 106th Precinct Cop of the Month for December is no stranger to the honor.
Veteran Police Officer Jennifer Martinez earned the award twice before being recognized a third time last Wednesday at the precinct’s Community Council meeting.
Martinez was presented with the latest plaque after her work in tracking down four perpetrators who had allegedly robbed an Ozone Park gas station at gunpoint.
According to Lt. Frank DiPreta, the command’s Special Operations coordinator, on Dec. 4 around 10 p.m., Martinez and her partner, PO Kyle Riegel, were working Anti-Crime in plainclothes when they responded to a 911 call of an armed robbery at the BP station on Rockaway Boulevard and 100th Street. In the course of the robbery, one of the station attendants was shot in the neck with a BB gun.
“They stole nonsense stuff,” noted DiPreta, adding that no cash was taken.
Martinez was able to get the license plate of the car used by the perpetrators, allowing her to obtain the home address of its owner, which was within the confines of the 106th. The officers set up on the block, DiPreta said, waiting for the suspects to exit the residence and return to the vehicle. As soon as they pulled out of a parking spot, Martinez stopped the car. A witness to the robbery positively identified the four suspects at the scene, and a search of the vehicle turned up the BB gun.
“Just a great arrest,” DiPreta said. “It doesn’t get much better than that.”
By Michael V. Cusenza
