Crime Report: Thefts from Restaurants, Street Assaults and Robberies

Two neighboring restaurants on DeKalb Avenue were burglarized during the night of March 19. A worker at Hot Chix, 110 DeKalb Avenue, said he found the register was broken and $400 in cash was missing. He said the rear door was unlocked when he came in at 8 a.m. Caffe e Vino, next door at 112 DeKalb Avenue, also was robbed. A worker told police that he discovered the rear glass door broken when he opened the restaurant at 8 a.m. The worker could not say at the time how much cash was missing. Police said the thief likely gained access between the restaurants through a ceiling duct or vent.

Including the above crime, 15 assaults and four arrests were reported in the 88th Precinct between March 17 and March 22. Locals also reported street assaults and robberies, bank account fraud and a case of child abuse.

Street Assaults and Robberies

-Police arrested Tariq Thomas, 22, on March 19 for allegedly punching a 38-year-old man two days before and smashing his iPhone on Hall Street near Myrtle Avenue. Thomas is charged with assault in the third degree, criminal mischief in the fourth degree, attempted assault in the third degree, menacing in the third degree and harassment in the second degree, according to the Kings County District Attorney’s office.

-Two 13-year-old boys told police on March 20 that they had been robbed by three men on Adelphi Street near Lafayette Avenue at 4 p.m. The boys said the men, who were all wearing hoodies, approached them and asked them the time before robbing one boy of his iPhone and $17 from the other boy. The boys were not hurt in the robbery, police said.

-Police arrested Baron Watson, 39, on March 22 for allegedly punching and trying to rob a 20-year-old man at 1:18 p.m. while he was walking on Park Avenue near Cumberland Street. The man told police that Watson approached him and said, “Give me some money.” When the man refused, Watson allegedly started going through his pants pockets. The man resisted and Watson then punched him in the mouth and eye. Watson is charged with attempted robbery in the third degree, attempted grand larceny in the fourth degree, assault in the third degree, attempted assault in the third degree, attempted petit larceny, menacing in the third degree and harassment in the third degree, according to the Kings County District Attorney’s office.

Assault on Deliveryman

A 53-year-old man told police that he was making a food delivery on his scooter when he was almost hit by a blue sedan with New Jersey plates at the intersection of Lafayette Avenue and Carlton Avenue on March 22 at 7:15 p.m. He said he got into an argument with the driver, who got out of his car with a club and hit him on the left arm, then got back in the car and sped off.

Theft from Restaurant

-A worker at the #1 Chinese Restaurant at 705 Fulton Street told police on March 17 that she had locked the restaurant at 11 p.m. and came back that morning at 11 a.m. and found that someone had broken in through a ceiling duct. She told police that the thief had taken an iPad mini, an electric bicycle and $2,870 in cash from the register and the ATM. Police said the thief possibly left through the rear door, which was found open and unlocked.

Thefts on Street

-A 44-year-old woman told police that a man approached her from behind and snatched her Gucci purse, containing her cellphone and $2,100 in money orders, while she was walking on Fulton Street near Rockwell Place on March 18 at 3:30 p.m. Police searched but could not find the thief, who fled east on Fulton Street.

– A 25-year-old woman told police on March 19 that someone came from behind and snatched her iPhone while she was walking on Classon Avenue near Lafayette Avenue at 1 p.m. She told police that the thief then ran inside 345 Classon Avenue, an apartment building in the Lafayette Houses.

Pickpocketing on Bus

Police arrested Khalifah Abdussamad, 56, on March 18 for allegedly pickpocketing a 47-year-old woman’s wallet while she was riding a bus on Fulton Street near Flatbush Avenue at 5 p.m. The Kings County District Attorney’s office declined to prosecute. A spokesperson for the district attorney could not say why.

Stolen Credit Card

A 36-year-old man told police on March 18 that his Citicard credit card had been stolen from his apartment on Washington Avenue near Gates Avenue. He said Citicard had told him that someone had tried to request an additional card, but had failed the security question. He closed the account and the bank issued him a new card.

Theft from Acupuncture Clinic

A 40-year-old woman told police that a thief stole a green backpack with an Apple laptop, wallet, iPad and iPhone from Brooklyn Open Acupuncture, 88 South Portland Avenue, at about  9 a.m. on March 21 She told police that she had left the door open while she was attending a client.

Theft at Hospital

A 62-year-old patient at the Brooklyn Hospital Center told police on March 21 that her purse, containing her Macy’s American Express credit card, Citibank debit card and oxycodone medication, had been stolen from her room. She said she had last seen her purse at 10 p.m. on March 20 and noticed it was missing the next day at 2:30 p.m.

Bank Account Frauds

-A 24-year-old women told police on March 21 that she had left her bag, containing her TD Bank ATM card, New York State identification and birth certificate, in a cab when she was coming home to Atlantic Terminal Housing Site 4B with some friends on March 12. One of her friends called her to say he had her bag, but then did not return it. She went to TD Bank to make a withdrawal and found that her account was restricted. She said the bank told her that there was fraudulent activity on her account.

-A 24-year-old woman told police on March 21 that her ex-girlfriend had taken her debit card from her wallet and withdrew money from ATMs at McDonald’s and the Hair Wig Beauty Supply at 530 Fulton Street. Police could not say how much money had been withdrawn.

Child Abuse

Police arrested a 34-year-old woman on March 17 for allegedly punching and choking her 14-year-old daughter two nights before. The daughter reported the attack at the Cobble Hill High School of American Studies on Monday morning, and told police her mother punched her in the mouth, scratched her face and tried to choke her after an argument about washing the dishes in their apartment in the Ingersoll Houses. The daughter was taken to New York Methodist Hospital

The mother, whose name is withheld by The Nabe to protect her daughter’s identity, is charged with assault in the third degree, criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, endangering the welfare of a child, attempted assault in the third degree, menacing in the third degree and harassment in the second degree.