‘Rock star’ cop in Qns. jogger case

A QUEENS cop who cracked the case of a jogger slain while out on a run near her home was honored by the City Council Wednesday.

Lt. John Russo (below) got a proclamation for his role in identifying the man who cops say killed 30-year-old Karina Vetrano (below right), whose body was found in Spring Creek Park in Howard Beach last summer.

A humble Russo insisted he played only a “small role” in solving the case, but Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce hailed him as a “rock star.”

Russo, who lives in the neighborhood, remembered a man he had seen lurking around someone’s backyard in the neighborhood — that person turned out to be Chanel Lewis, who cops busted for the murder.

“Karina’s picture was . . . a picture my family and I saw in every store we went into, every block we drove down. We were constantly reminded, just being in the neighborhood, of this unsolved murder,” Russo said.

“I’ve met people that I didn’t know telling me that they were nervous about letting their children out, and now that the case is solved, it’s a little more comfort for everyone.”

It took six months to make an arrest in the seemingly random attack, which generated hundreds of tips.

City Councilman Eric Ulrich, who represents the area, said the whole neighborhood was breathing easier since the case was solved. “We’re honoring a hometown hero,” he said.

Lewis, 20, of Brooklyn, was hit Wednesday with a 13-count indictment, authorities said. The indictment returned by a Queens grand jury charges him with four counts of first-degree murder, along with raps for seconddegree murder and sexual abuse. Lewis faces up to life in prison if convicted.