Say what you like about the NY Times (and I say they are all unrepentant communists and self-hating Jews, fwiw), this is a good example of the kind of in-depth/background reporting on local crimes that ONLY the Times ever does.
I take everything from the Times with a grain of salt. But I also know how to read between the lines when taking in their information. What exactly is your criticism of this particular story? Would you have even thought twice about whether to believe it had it come from the Post or the Sun?
Thoughtful criticism I can handle; dumb-ass dismissal of stories, out of hand, is just plain foolish.