Merchant Slain

Neighborhood residents gather in front of Sun Electronics on Rockaway Parkway near Avenue N where the body of owner Ding Hao Peng was discovered Tuesday morning. Charles Rogers

On Rkwy. Pkwy.

By Charles Rogers

Just when the city was heralding new records that determined last week was the safest week in the city in more than 40 years, a murder here refuted the statistics, unfortunately, as detectives from the 69th Precinct investigate the slaying of the owner of an electronics repair shop on Rockaway Parkway early Tuesday.

The body of Ding Hao Peng, 59, was found at 12:20 a.m. on Tuesday, February 26th on the floor of his shop, Sun Electronics at 1939 Rockaway Parkway, by a neighbor who had been called by the victim’s wife when her husband had not come home from work on time. The neighbor called police and patrol officers from the local precinct broke the door down and saw Peng’s body. He had been stabbed and bludgeoned to death.

According to Detective Sergeant James O’Neill, after breaking down the door, the patrol officers discovered the bloody scene, with the victim’s hands tied with duct tape and his body covered with stab wounds and bruises. The exact cause of death was not determined by the Medical Examiner’s office until late Tuesday.

After the discovery of the body, police canvassed the area with negative results

"Some reports said that the motive appeared to be a robbery," said O’Neill, "but we can’t say that officially yet, since it is not determined what, if anything, had been taken. We can’t even presume the motive at this time."

Local residents and store owners said they were "fearful." One resident, who lives around the corner on Avenue N, said he used to go out to take walks frequently but now he "won’t walk around after dark any more until they catch whoever did this." He asked that his name not be mentioned.

Police said a newsstand across the street from the electronics store had been victimized by armed robberies "a few times" within recent years but did not say there was any connection to the murder.

Officials from the Brooklyn South Homicide Squad and Robbery Squad are joining with local detectives in searching for the killer or killer s. The case is being handled by Detective Chris Karolkowski.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Karolkowski at 257-6215. All calls will be kept strictly confidential.