1 dead in helicopter crash in central New Jersey

The pilot of a small helicopter was killed when it crashed Saturday in a central New Jersey cornfield, authorities said. (WABC Photo)

  Eyewitness NewsWEST WINDSOR, N.J. -- A retired New York City police officer was killed Saturday when the small helicopter he was piloting crashed in a central New Jersey cornfield, authorities said.

Michael Scarfia, 65, of Staten Island, N.Y., was identified by West Windsor police as the pilot of the Aerospatiale AS355 twin-engine helicopter that went down shortly after noon in West Windsor. Scarfia apparently was the only person aboard.

The aircraft burst into flames upon impact, but no one on the ground was injured, authorities said.

"By diverting his failing helicopter into the cornfield and away from crowded shopping malls, he again showed his bravery and dedication to others," West Windsor police Lt. Robert Garofalo said in a news release.

It was not immediately clear what caused the accident. Garofalo said several people reported that a flock of birds appeared to make contact with the helicopter shortly before it crashed. He said authorities still were investigating those reports Saturday evening.

"Eyewitnesses said they saw pieces of (the helicopter) coming apart, including the main rotor of the helicopter itself," Garofalo said during an earlier news conference held near the crash scene.

Several witnesses also reported hearing grinding noises and possible explosions shortly before the helicopter went down in the field near Route 1 and Quakerbridge Road in the Mercer County community.

Authorities said the pilot did not report any trouble or make any emergency transmissions.

It was not immediately clear where the helicopter was headed or where it had departed from.

Besides West Windsor police, the Federal Aviation Administration and New Jersey state police were also investigating the accident.

CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS FROM THE SCENE OFTHE CRASH.

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Suspect arrested in Central Park rape, robbery

Web produced by Jennifer Matarese, Eyewitness NewsNEW YORK (WABC) -- Police have arrested a man in the alleged rape of a 73-year-old woman in Central Park.

Police sources in the case tell Eyewitness News the victim picked the suspect, identified as 42-year-old David Albert Mitchell out of a lineup.

"It's majestic, it's very soothing, I'm not going to stop, nobody is going to take that pleasure away from me. This was just one animal," the rape and robbery survivor said.

42-year-old David Mitchell acted like an animal, by spitting at reporters when he walked out to an SUV Thursday evening.

Police say he maliciously targeted a 73-year-old soft spoken birdwatcher. Eyewitness News is concealing her identity.

"He flipped me over and raped me, thoroughly," she said, "Sometimes I can feel what he was doing. It's a kinetic memory."

This savage attack happened in broad daylight Wednesday around noon near Strawberry Fields in Central Park.

Investigators say Mitchell was mad that the 73-year-old photographer took a picture of him during a lewd act almost two weeks ago.

"This is a revenge attack. He remembered me," she said.

During the sexual assault, she suffered two black eyes, bruises arms and legs, and a broken finger.

"Were you able to scream or anything, or were you just silent?" Eyewitness News reporter Darla Miles asked.

"When he finished beating the *expletive* out of me, he said, he pushed me into the dirt on my face and he said, "You stay there, you count to 100,'" the woman described.

Hours after the attack, the NYPD released a surveillance video of the suspect.

Three rookie cops spotted him and took him into custody.

He's no stranger to police in Virginia where his criminal history includes kidnapping and dates back to 1978.

"All I was doing was praying to stay alive," she said.

Sources say Mitchell is homeless.

He faces multiple charges including Predatory Sex Act and Rape.

The victim says she knows this was an act of power and that she's not going to give her attacker.

So, she plans to continue bird watching as soon as she walks out of her front door, without two black eyes.

"Am I freaking out? No. Something bad happened, my bruises will eventually go away and I'm still alive," she said.

She's been a professional photographer for almost 50 years, and a birdwatcher for 30.

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New restaurants planned at Grand Central Terminal

  Eyewitness NewsNEW YORK (WABC) -- Grand Central Terminal is making space for two new sit-down restaurants.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Monday that it's making two sizeable new spots available for dining in the historic train station.

One space is a roughly 12,000-square-foot expanse that once was a waiting room in the area called Vanderbilt Hall. The former waiting room has been used in recent years for special events. The second space is a 4,700-square-foot area that's been used for storage. It's above the Grand Central Market area of eateries. "Vanderbilt Hall is visually stunning, and a restaurant above the vibrant Grand Central Market promises to have tremendous cachet," said MTA Chairman Joseph J. Lhota. The new restaurants, which will be available for 2013 openings, will benefit from increased foot traffic during the Terminal's centennial year, which kicks off in February. Centennial activities are planned throughout the Terminal and in Vanderbilt Hall all year long. With 750,000 visitors per day, Grand Central Terminal is the second most-visited place in New York City after Times Square. ---
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LIRR move to Grand Central delayed 4 years

A train arrives to the Astor Place station early Friday, Dec. 16, 2005 in New York. (AP Photo/ Dima Gavrysh)

  Eyewitness NewsNEW YORK -- It now appears Long Island Rail Road trains won't be stopping at Grand Central Terminal until 2019.

That's the word Tuesday from Joseph Lhota, the chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Lhota made the revelation at a meeting of business leaders on Long Island.

The MTA is building a new tunnel under the East River to allow LIRR trains access to Grand Central. Now, all LIRR trains go to Penn Station, on Manhattan's west side.

Lhota says there have been problems tunneling underneath a rail yard in Queens. The MTA has brought in experts from Europe to help with developing a plan going forward.

The project has been delayed several times. Earlier estimates were for it to be completed by 2015.

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Central Park Zoo's beloved polar bear dies

In this March 25, 2005 file photo, a polar bear named "Ida" rests her head on a bucket at the Central Park Zoo in New York. Zoo officials say Ida was euthanized on Friday, June 3, 2011, after veterinarians determined she had liver disease brought on by cancer. She was 25. ((AP Photo/Mary Schwalm, File))

  Eyewitness NewsNEW YORK (WABC) -- One of the Central Park Zoo's beloved polar bears has died.

Zoo officials say Ida was euthanized Friday after veterinarians determined she had liver disease brought on by cancer.

Ida was 25. She was born in New York's Buffalo Zoo in 1985 and went to the Central Park Zoo when she was 2. She was seen by millions of guests through the years, often cuddling beside her male companion, Gus.

New York City zoos director Jeff Sailer says Ida will be missed every day by staff and guests. He says millions of visitors have been inspired to care more about the plight of polar bears in the wild because of her.

Ida's zookeepers were allowed to share quiet time with her before she was euthanized.

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