Hazmat Killer Nabbed for Murder of UES Deli worker

The Hazmat killer has been nabbed, ending a six day crime spree that included the murder of a deli worker on the upper East Side as well as three robberies including two in Brooklyn and one in the Bronx.

A 39 year old male, Kimond L. Cyrus, was arrested on the morning of March 9 in the south Bronx. Chief of detectives James Essig called it a “three borough robbery spree” that resulted in a homicide at the upper East Side deli and minutes later a non fatal robbery in the Bronx as well as two earlier robberies in Brooklyn.

In all four incidents, the suspect wore a white tyvek suit and made his getaway riding a dark blue scooter. Essig said that the police caught a break when a tipster said that someone resembling the man dressed in camouflage clothing in a store on Boston Post Rd. in the south Bronx rode off on a scooter after leaving a bodega.

“Acting on this tip, detectives tracked that individual through video to 1700 Crotona Park East,” Essig said at a press conference at police headquarters. After canvassing video, he was seen leaving with the white hazmat suit on March 3 shorlty before the time the deli worker was killed and then returning shortly after midnight on March 4th shortly after making a second robbery attempt in the Bronx. but he was without the white suit when he returned.

But they began closing in on him.

Police said a dark blue moped and the handgun which they believe was involved in all four incidents was recovered at the victims home when he was arrested at 3808 Rombout’s Ave. in the Eastchester neighborhood of the Bronx.

“Detectives were able to identify this individual based on video, clothing and interviews,” the chief added.

When the NYPD’s Regional Task Force, along with the US Marshals, and a detective from the 19th precinct which covers the area where the homicide occurred, caught up to Cyrus on March 9. He still had some of the purloined items on him, as well as a firearm, police sources said. Police said he stole Newport brand cigarettes at some of the robberies.

“I particularly want to thank the public for its help,” Essig said. “This tip was very instrumental in the apprehension of this violent person.”

Police had not yet released the identity of the victim who went by “Michael” at Daona Deli & Grocery, were he was a beloved worker for more than ten years on the corner of 81st and Third Ave. The Daily News said the victim was Sueng Choi, but said he was estranged from his family who lived in Chicago. He reportedly was from Korea originally.

Mayor Eric Adams said he fully endorsed the stance taken by chief of department Jeffrey Maddrey, the highest ranking uniformed officer who was also at the press conference, calling for all cusotmers in a store to be required to drop their masks for upon entering a shop so they can be clearly seen and identified.

”This was good old fashioned police work,” said Adams, but he held up a mask and said, “and it was made harder because of this.”

”You cannot identify a person with all of this gear on,” he said, holding a picture of the hazmat killer in one hand and a mask in the other.

”If he didn’t have this,” he said, still holding up the mask,
“that crimestoppers tip would have allowed up to be here days earlier.”

”We can have public safety and health,” said Adams who said he wants to follow the same guidelines as airlines that require people to drop their masks for several seconds upon checking in for indentification purposes. .

Over the course of recent days, police had recovered two of the white tyvek suits he wore, one on New Kirk Ave in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn and one at 3213 Park Ave. only a minutes from the scene where he was arrested.

Charges were still pending at the time of the press conference at police HQ on March 9th.