A man was struck and killed by an MTA bus Wednesday in front of Elmhurst Hospital in Queens, according to police.

The victim was walking onto the street in between two parked cars when he was hit by an oncoming Q53 bus at approximately 7:36 p.m. The incident occurred in front of Elmhurst Hospital, where the victim was pronounced dead on arrival.

The bus remained on the scene. No arrests were made, and the investigation is ongoing.

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Police are searching for a man who robbed a 69-year-old woman in her apartment in the Elmhurst section of Queens.

The woman entered her apartment a little after 6 p.m. on Feb. 14 when she saw the robber in her home, police said. The suspect then grabbed the woman, threw her on the floor and tied her up. He got away with clothing, jewelry and cash.

He is described as being in his 20s, dark-skinned, 5 feet 9 inches and weighing 150 pounds.

Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.

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Police have arrested a 23-year-old man in connection with the death of a man whose body was found dead at the Crown Motor Inn in Elmhurst on Saturday.

Lleuyel Garcia of Manhattan was charged with two counts of murder, one count of robbery and other crimes in the death of Joseph Benzinger, 54, of Middle Village, Queens.

Benzinger was found unconscious on the floor of one of the motel rooms late Saturday night. The cause of death has not been determined, but police have classified it as a homicide. The investigation is ongoing.

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After three recent murders, some in the gay community are questioning online dating.

Politicians urged caution while meeting potential dates after two gay men were killed one week apart in Queens.

Councilman Daniel Dromm decried the murders, which were in his Queens district, Tuesday at one of the crime locations.

“The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities are deeply concerned about these two recent murders,” he said in Elmhurst. “It is an eerie coincidence that both of these murders took place within a week of each other and involved gay men.”

The first murder victim he referenced was David Rangel, a Queens teacher found choked to death in his apartment Feb. 3.

One week later, Sunday at the Crown Motor Inn, where Dromm spoke, another gay man was strangled. Joseph Benzinger was found dead by the motel staff, according to Dromm’s office.

Dromm pointed out that both cases involved middle-aged gay men.

He also said a similar attack occurred Jan. 28, when Hamilton Heights resident Charles Romo was found dead in his apartment.

An NYPD spokeswoman said the department’s Hate Crime Task Force is monitoring the cases, which she said do not appear to be related.

Dromm urged people in the LGBT community to be careful when they are dating someone for the first time. The Councilman expressed concerns after Ringel’s murder that he may have been meeting people online.

“Go to your favorite café and make sure the waiter sees who you are with,” he said. “If you meet someone in a bar, let the bartender know who the person is.”

Tonight, the New York City Anti-Violence Project is hosting an event in Jackson Heights to dole out dating tips, Staying Safe with Online Pick-Ups.

“People are definitely concerned,” Ejeris Dixon at the Project said.

Many have called with fears or to recount their own violent encounters while dating online, she said.

Stubborn stigmas around both being gay and dating online contribute to an underground quality of the meet ups, she said.

“We really feel that it’s a critical moment for us to get the information out there,” she said.

The group also noted a 13 percent increase in reports of hate violence against gay and HIV-affected New Yorkers between 2010 and 2011, their most recent data available.

Follow Alison Bowen on Twitter: @reporteralison

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