Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The toll coronavirus is taking on the Buffalo Police Department continues to grow with 17 officers now confirmed as testing positive for the virus. In addition to the 17, a number of additional officers are currently quarantined.
"We have approximately twenty additional officers that are on administrative leave", says Buffalo Police Captain Jeffrey Rinaldo.
A number of the officers who tested positive work out of the Buffalo Police C-District on East Ferry Street in the city. "A number of cases are centered around two particular platoons that are obviously in close contact", says Rinaldo.
As a result of the number of positive cases in the C-District, the department has drastically ramped-up cleaning efforts at the facility. Rinaldo tells WBEN the station house has been 'deep cleaned' at least twice to date as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Both city cleaning crews and a professional staff have worked to disinfect the C-District according to Rinaldo.
"We have also instituted additional cleaning measures on a daily-shift basis in the C-Ditrict", adds Rinaldo.
During the daily city update, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and Rinaldo announced that homicide detectives arrested two individuals responsible for thedeath of a Buffalo man last week.
On March 27th around 7:45pm the victim, Wilfredo "Tito" Justiniano, 50 years old, of 7th Street was gunned down in the 100 block of Pennsylvania Street. He died as aresult of multiple gunshot wounds to his body.
Detective Sergeant William J. Cooley and Detectives Mark C. White, Scott R. Malec and Jason M. Mayhook conducted an immediate investigation, which resulted in the arrests of the alleged gunman and his accomplice this afternoon.
The two suspects were picked up by members of the US Marshal's Violent Felony Warrant Squad late this morning, leaving an Amherst address and turned over to Buffalo homicide investigators.
Arrested is Josean Roman-Cruz, 37 years old of Pennsylvania Street, who was charged with murder in the second degree as well as criminal possession and criminal use of a firearm. Roman-Cruz faces an additional weapons count in the town of Amherst. Also arrested is Elsa Escalera-Flores, 35 years, of 7th Street, who is charged with murder and weapons possession counts for aiding Roman-Cruz.