The alleged killer of a Canarsie teen has been extradited to Brooklyn from Trinidad and Tobago to face prosecution for the 2021 murder, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez announced Monday.

Anthony Regis-Ash, 24, formerly of Brooklyn, was arraigned on Jan. 6 before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Donald Leo, charged with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree attempted robbery, and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

The DA’s office alleges Regis-Ash fled to Trinidad and Tobago after fatally shooting 18-year-old Sharif Richards on Sept. 29, 2021. Charges are also pending against Regis-Ash’s girlfriend, who was arrested in 2022.

Gonzalez said Richards’ killing was a “heinous act of violence” that devastated a family.

“By extraditing the alleged perpetrator from Trinidad and Tobago, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to ensuring that this kind of callous disregard for human life is met with the full force of justice,” he said in a statement.

According to the investigation, on the night of Sept. 29, 2021, police responded to 911 calls reporting a shooting near Foster Avenue and East 80th Street in Canarsie. Officers found Richards, 18, with a gunshot wound to the chest near his crashed car. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Prosecutors say they conducted a video canvass of the area on the night in question, tracking Richards’ movements and locating Regis-Ash’s 2015 Nissan parked nearby. Surveillance footage allegedly showed a woman, later identified as 24-year-old Amari Harvey, exiting the Nissan and approaching Richards in his vehicle.

Moments later, Regis-Ash, wearing a hoodie and mask, is seen allegedly leaning into Richards’ car in an attempted robbery before shooting him. Richards drove off and crashed a few blocks away. The footage also allegedly shows Harvey leaving the scene with Regis-Ash, prosecutors said.

Phone records and text messages reviewed during the investigation revealed prior communication between Richards, Harvey, and Regis-Ash, according to the District Attorney’s office.

Harvey, of Brooklyn, was arrested at John F. Kennedy Airport on Jan. 5, 2022, while attempting to board a flight to Trinidad and Tobago. She is charged with second-degree murder, first-degree attempted robbery, and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. She is being held on $1 million cash bail or $2 million bond.

Regis-Ash was ordered held without bail and is scheduled to return to court on Feb. 7. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years to life in prison.

A roundup of Brooklyn’s cultural offerings this week, from comedy to theater to music to art, and what critics are saying about them.

The post What They’re Saying: live arts in Brooklyn this week, Jan. 7 appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.

TRAFFIC CAME TO A STANDSTILL on the Gowanus Expressway due to a vehicle collision near Exit 23 at roughly 8:15 a.m.

The post Vehicle collision on Gowanus Expressway halts traffic Monday appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.

Bay Ridge’s first legal adult-use cannabis dispensary is set to finally open Tuesday following a lengthy regulatory process and community pushback.

Kaya Bliss, located on Third Avenue between 84th and 85th streets, will welcome customers for a soft opening on Jan. 7, with hours from noon to 8 p.m.

Co-owner Edgar Kleydman expressed excitement and relief at finally receiving approval to open from the New York State Office of Cannabis Management in early December, narrowly avoiding delays caused by a Dec. 13 ruling from a state judge in Albany that temporarily halted the processing of cannabis license applications.

“I’m nervous because nothing is ever perfect, nothing’s ever finished, but it is what it is,” Kleydman said ahead of the opening. “That’s why we’re doing the soft opening: so we can just take it slow, get everybody accustomed to it, get to know our customers a little bit, and get to know the product better so we can sell it better.”

Kaya Bliss has faced significant hurdles since beginning its application process with OCM in May 2023. Alongside regulatory challenges, the dispensary also encountered resistance from some community members opposed to the first legal cannabis store in Bay Ridge.

Community Board 10 voted on June 20, 2024, to recommend OCM deny Kaya Bliss’ application. The vote followed a contentious public meeting where residents voiced concerns about the dispensary’s proximity to schools, houses of worship, and a local daycare.

Although the dispensary’s application adhered to cannabis laws prohibiting retail storefronts within 500 feet of schools or 200 feet of houses of worship, critics pointed to the nearby Home Sweet Home Child Day Care Center, located within 500 feet of the site. The OCM, however, does not classify daycare centers as schools under its guidelines.

The community board’s advisory vote was followed by a rally on June 24, where Assembly Members Michael Tannousis and Alec Brook-Krasny joined U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis in urging OCM to reject the application. In a letter to the agency, the lawmakers argued that the dispensary’s presence would expose minors to cannabis, despite existing age restrictions.

Given the advisory role community boards play in the rollout of Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary licenses, Kaya Bliss’ application proceeded after meeting all OCM requirements.

“As long as you have your site protection, and as long as you have everything dotted and all your t’s crossed, it doesn’t really matter,” Kleydman said of the board’s objections.

Kleydman remains optimistic that the community’s concerns will ease as Kaya Bliss becomes an established presence in the neighborhood. During a tour of the 2,000-square-foot facility last year, he emphasized to Brooklyn Paper the importance of education and dialogue with skeptical residents.

“There’s a really small percentage of the neighborhood that doesn’t understand this yet,” Kleydman said. “I realized that just talking to the few who did not understand this and showing them what this is really about gives them peace of mind and understanding.”