Crime Report: Thefts from Cars, Stolen Cell Phones and Fraudulent Checks

By Kyle Ligman and Alessandra Malito

Twenty-three felonies — but no arrests – were reported in the 88th Precinct between Oct. 13 and 19, a decrease from 28 felonies and 11 arrests reported between Oct. 6 and Oct. 12.

Reports from both weeks included car break-ins, fraudulent checks cashed and street robberies – many that involved stolen cell phones. A few thefts occurred at the victims’ workplaces, where products such as hair extensions, jewelry and e-cigarettes were stolen.

Armed Home Invasion

Police arrested Wayne Craft, 42, in connection with the gunpoint robbery of a 49-year-old woman in her Greene Avenue apartment on Oct. 10.

The victim told police the intruder came into her apartment through the fire-escape window, waving a black gun and cursing at her. The woman told police that the intruder took her friend’s Rolex watch, worth $17,000, off her dresser and tried to run off with it.

Cops found Craft hiding in a janitorial closet on the second floor of the apartment building, where he apparently was attempting to change his clothes. They did not recover the gun, according to records.

Craft was charged with burglary in the first, second and third degrees, attempted grand larceny in the third degree, menacing in the second and third degrees, criminal trespassing in the second degree, attempted petit larceny, trespass, and harassment in the second degree, according to the King’s County District Attorney’s office.

Street Robberies

-A 43-year-old Yummy Taco deliveryman was attacked for $85 and his food on Oct. 6 around 11 p.m., police said. The man told police  he was waiting on Navy Street near the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway for another deliveryman to return from dropping off food when four men jumped him, kicked him, took his money and food and fled. Police canvassed the area, but didn’t find the suspects. Emergency Medical Services took the man to the Brooklyn Hospital Center, police said.

-A thief punched a 32-year-old man and stole his leather jacket  as he entered the Classon Avenue G train station on Oct. 13 at around 1 a.m., cops said. The victim spotted the two men when he entered the subway station, when suddenl one of them pushed him. When the victim told the booth clerk that he was being followed, one of the men punched him in the head, saying, “I’m gonna kick your ass. You’re a dead man.” When he tried to flee, someone grabbed his jacket collar and he had to wriggle free to escape. Police canvassed the area but did not find the suspects.

-A 71-year-old man told police that someone robbed him of $300 on Oct. 8 at 8:35 p.m. near the intersection of Classon and Lafayette Avenues.  The victim was drunk when the thief put a jacket over his head, told him, “Shut up and give me your money,” and snatched an envelope with the cash from his pocket, cops said.

Bottle Assaults

-Someone threw a glass bottle at a 28-year-old woman, hitting her in the face, at a bar on Fulton Street around midnight on Oct. 15. The woman reported the incident three days after the attack, police said.

-A 38-year-old man confronted someone urinating in public on the north side of the Walt Whitman Houses on Oct. 8 around 11:15 p.m., cops said. When confronted, the offender said, “What you say?” and then smacked the man in the face with a beer bottle causing a black eye, according to police.

Cell Phone Thefts

-A 34-year-old woman was walking home from work with her iPhone in her hand when a man approached her from behind and snatched the phone at around 7 p.m. on Oct. 17 on Washington Park, police said. The victim said she chased the mugger until he was out of sight.

-A 39-year-old woman struggled to retrieve her cell phone from a mugger who she said snatched it from her on Lafayette Avenue near Carlton Avenue on Oct. 14 at 8 p.m., police said. She chased the thief down Carlton Avenue toward Greene Avenue, but he escaped.  The woman said she tried to use an application to find her phone, but it did not work because the phone was turned off. Attempts to obtain the phone’s identification numbers were unsuccessful.

-On Oct. 17 at about 8:30 a.m., a taxi-cab passenger stole a Blackberry cellphone and $1,300 in cash from a 32-year-old taxi driver and exited the cab while it was moving on South Elliott Place near DeKalb Avenue.

-On Oct. 14 at around 10 p.m., a mugger with a scarf wrapped around his head allegedly approached a 33-year-old woman on Lafayette Avenue at Washington Avenue, said “Give me your purse or I will blow your head off,” and fled when the woman handed over her purse.  The purse contained the woman’s iPhone 4s, American Express and MasterCard credit card and passports.

-A mugger punched a 19-year-old man in the face, threw him to the ground and took his phone and wallet, containing his Social Security and identification cards, on Saint Edwards Street on Oct. 19 at 5 p.m., police reported. The victim suffered a bruise and a cut on his left thumb, police said.

-A 30-year-old woman told police a thief snatched her iPhone 5s from her hand on Oct. 7 at 4:30 p.m. as she walked just south of Fort Greene Park on South Elliott Place. Two days later, police arrested two boys, ages 15 and 16, in connection with the theft.

The Kings Country District Attorney’s office could not confirm the charges on the 15-year-old.

-A thief snatched a 23-year-old woman’s Galaxy S4 cellphone from her hand on Oct. 13 around 3 p.m. while she was on a 2 train waiting to get off at the Nevins Street station. Police canvassed the station and stopped one man who fit the victim’s description, but released him after the woman said he wasn’t the one who took her phone.

-Someone riding by on a bicycle snatched a 22-year-old woman’s iPhone 4 near the NYC Fresh Market on Myrtle Avenue on Oct. 8, cops said.

-A teenager snatched a 29-year-old woman’s Samsung Galaxy cell phone on Oct. 11 on the south side of Fort Greene Park on South Portland Avenue, police said.

Attempted Phone Theft

Officers chased down and arrested three teenage boys who harassed another youngster and tried to steal his phone on the west side of Fort Greene Park on Oct. 9 at around 4:30 p.m. The victim said the boys reached for his phone multiple times, and he pushed their hands away.

A King’s County District Attorney’s office spokesman said he couldn’t confirm the charges on two of the arrested boys because they are minors. One 16-year-old boy is charged with attempted robbery in the second and third degree, attempted grand larceny in the fourth degree, menacing in the fourth degree, attempt at petit larceny, and harassment in the second degree, according to the DA’s office.

Auto Thefts

-A man reported that his car missing around 9 a.m. on Oct. 12 near the intersection of Clinton and Myrtle Avenues, cops said. The man called the 88th Precinct and learned the car had been towed, although it was removed from Ashland Place near Myrtle Avenue – not the original parking spot. Police said the car had been stolen, along with some items inside. The car was recovered from the Brooklyn Navy Yard but one item is missing, police said.

-On Oct. 14, a 50-year-old man reported the apparent theft of his car from a parking space on Washington Avenue six days before. The man said he parked the 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer on at 11 p.m. on Oct. 7, and when he returned it was missing.

-A Kawsaki motorcycle belonging a 33-year-old man was taken from Cumberland Street between Park and Flushing Avenues around 4:30 a.m. on Oct. 17, cops said. There were no cameras and a check of the area for the motorcycle was conducted with no results.

-On Oct. 20 at 1:15 p.m., a man who double-parked his 2003 Nissan Maxima in front of the Walt Whitman Houses on South Portland Avenue with the keys in the ignition and the engine runnin returned five minutes later to find the car gone.

Thefts from Vehicles

– Someone broke the right-front window of a parked vehicle and stole a Michael Kors bag, Guess wallet and Capital One credit card – worth a total of $338 – on Oct. 19 on Willoughby Avenue at Ashland Place, cops said.

-A woman discovered her $17,000 Rolex watch missing from her car parked in a private garage on Hudson Avenue on Oct. 20 at 1:30 p.m., cops said. She said she took off her watch to put lotion on her hands and placed it on her seat or the seat next to her, then turned her car over to a parking attendant.

-While making deliveries on Fulton Street, a National Distribution Alliance employee parked his vehicle, and upon his return, saw that $960 worth of e-cigarette starter kits, $1,065 worth of refills, and a cell phone valued at $100 were taken at 1 p.m. on Oct. 17, police said.

-A thief broke into the rear passenger side of a car parked on Lafayette Avenue and stole a black, metal suitcase with stickers, a black plastic briefcase, a blue backpack, an electric guitar effect pedal and a Tama bass-drum pedal worth a total of $1,250, police said. The owner, a 24-year-old woman, told police she had parked the car at 2 a.m. on Oct. 17 and discovered the items were missing at 2:30 p.m.

-Freddie L. Pickens, 48, was arrested on Oct. 8 for allegedly breaking into a car and stealing its speaker on Cambridge Place near Gates Avenue. A neighbor said she witnessed the break-in around 4 a.m.

Pickens is charged with grand larceny in the fourth degree, criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth and fifth degrees, petit larceny, unauthorized use of a vehicle in the fourth degree and auto stripping in the third degree, according to the King’s County District Attorney’s office.

-A man found the back window of his car broken and seven of his tools missing from inside on Oct. 9 around 8 a.m. The 40-year-old man said he parked his car on Vanderbilt Avenue near Willoughby Avenue the night before, and when he came back in the morning his tools were gone.

-Several credit cards and an iPad 3 were stolen from a 37-year-old woman’s car on Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. on South Portland Avenue near the Greenlight Bookstore, police said. The woman told police that her front passenger side window was broken into.

-On Oct. 13 at 10:30 a.m. a 61-year-old woman noticed a GPS Garmin lighter attachment and a Hoyt compound bow box had been taken from her vehicle parked near the intersection of Carlton and Willoughby Avenues, cops said. There was no sign of a break-in, according to police.

-On the night of Oct. 11 at the Navy Yard Commissary, a witness reported spotting Ramy Abd-El Masih, 24, taking vending licenses off food trucks. The witness noticed the commissary’s gate was ajar. He reportedly then found Masih inside and told him to go home. After checking security tapes, the witness purportedly discovered Masih had stolen the licenses off the trucks and called him back. The witness found four stolen licenses in his car, according to the police.

Masih is charged with burglary in the third degree, criminal mischief in the fourth degree, petit larceny, criminal possession of stolen goods in the fifth degree, criminal trespass in the third degree, and trespassing, according to the Kings County District Attorney’s office.

Laptop Theft

A laptop was stolen on Fulton Street near Saint James Place when it was left unattended for hours on Oct. 2 around 4:30 p.m. The 42-year-old owner was helping his friend move that afternoon and left his knapsack with his laptop on top of a box. When he returned several hours later, the MacBook Pro, worth $1380, was gone. Police said it is not clear whether the theft occurred on the street or inside an apartment building.

Residential Burglaries on Clermont Avenue near Greene Avenue

Two burglaries occurred at two different apartments in one building on Clermont Avenue near Greene Avenue on Oct. 9. A MacBook Pro, an iPad and a blue Sirrus elite bike were stolen from a 30-year-old woman’s residence between about 9 a.m. and 8:15 p.m., cops said. The total value of the items is around $3,500, according to police. The door to the home was forced open, cops reported. Between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m., a thief forced open another door at the building and stole a MacBook Pro, a DKNY rose gold watch and a silver broach belonging to a 32-year-old woman. The total value of the items is around $625, according to police. Police don’t know what relationship, if any, exists between the two victims.Other Home BurglaryA 29-year-old man’s house on Washington Park was invaded while he was sleeping around midnight on Oct. 15. There was no sign of forced entry, but a Macbook laptop and a black-and-green backpack, totaling $1,200, were taken.Theft from BusinessAn acquaintance of the owner of Estate Jewels by George & Raf on Lafayette Avenue allegedly stole items totaling $17,272 — including a 1973 Christian Dior necklace, an Art Deco ruby diamond brooch, a Reno feather brooch, a 1984 Monet Zantium necklace, earrings and one pair of snake chain earrings – from the shop on Oct. 19 between 1 and 2 a.m.

Brooklyn Hospital Center Theft

Credit cards, a New York State identification card and medication were stolen from a 31-year-old patient of the Brooklyn Hospital Center at 5:20 p.m. on Oct. 11. She told police she placed her purse in a drawer with the items and then found them gone later in the day. Police canvassed the area, but did not recover the items.

On the Job

-Scruples hair care products, a blow dryer, human-hair extensions and Organice salon perms worth a total of $1,684 were taken from a 40-year-old woman’s workstation at a Phenomenon Hair salon on Fulton Street between noon and 7 p.m. on Oct. 14, police said.

-A Myrtle Avenue CVS Pharmacy employee allegedly was caught on video stealing items worth $6,478 – including two boxes of Newport cigarettes – on Sept. 16 around 9:50 a.m.

Kenneth Perry, 47, was charged with grand larceny in the third and fourth degree, and petit larceny, according to the King’s County District Attorney’s office.

Other Thefts

-A 23-year-old man put down his bag to have a conversation at Mirrors on Grand Avenue at about 8 p.m. on Oct 14 , and when he turned back, the bag – containing a 15-inch Apple Macbook Pro, an iPod, Urbanears headphones, a Hitachi 250GB external hard drive and Logitech computer mouse – was gone. The items were worth about $1,875, police said.

-A 21-year-old woman told police she placed her wallet on the countertop at a hot dog stand on DeKalb Avenue at Ashland Place around 1 p.m. on Oct. 17 and forgot she left it there.walked off without it.  When she returned, her wallet, containing her identification card, prepaid Visa card and $1,020 in cash, was gone.

– A mugger approached a 16-year-old boy from behind and ripped a set of Dre Beats headphones from his head while he was walking in front the Ingersoll houses on Monument Park on Oct. 17 at 5 p.m. When the boy threatened to call 911, the mugger snatched the boy’s iPhone 4s from his hand and fled.

-A 12-year-old boy told police that someone grabbed a Miami Heat baseball cap off his head on Sept. 26 on DeKalb Avenue at Adelphi Street around 5:30 p.m. and fled.

Scam and Fraud

-A 70-year-old Greene Avenue resident told police she did not notice her wallet – containing an Amalgamated Bank card, Social Security card, food stamps and a piece of paper with her bank account PIN number on it – missing until she returned to her Greene Avenue home from shopping on Oct. 13 at 9 a.m. and looked inside her bag. Charges totaling $20 were placed on the card.

-A fraudster cashed six forged checks, totaling $5,133.18, in the name of Dee and Ricky’s Home Cooking restaurant on Myrtle Avenue on Oct. 8, police said. An employee reported the incident on Oct. 15.

-A 21-year-old man told police he received a text alert from Chase Bank on Oct. 4 saying he had a negative balance two days after someone stole his wallet on Clinton Avenue. Besides a Chase Bank card, the wallet contained the man’s Social Security card, MetroCard, $20 in cash and miscellaneous papers.

-Someone withdrew a total of $6,800 from a 41-year-old man’s bank account, after the fraudster allegedly duplicated the man’s debit card, created a false ID and deposited a fraudulent company business check for $3,225. He then reportedly asked the bank clerk to withdraw $600 and later withdrew $800 from an ATM. The victim said he had his bank card with him and was at work when the fraudulent activity happened between 3 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 18.

-An employee of Deniz Restaurant and Bar was conned out of $2,500 by a fake Con Edison employee on Oct. 8 between 2 and 3 p.m., cops said. The imposter called the man on Oct. 8 around 2 p.m. and said that if the victim did not send the money, his services would be shut off.

-An employee of Steinway Pasta and Gelati at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Williamsburg Place noticed at around 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 11 that a $6,000 fraudulent check had been withdrawn from the restaurant’s Chase business account.

Credit Card Theft

A 13-year-old girl’s TD Saving’s Bank ATM card was taken and $453 was removed from the joint account she shared with her father between Oct. 3 and Oct. 9, police said. The girl told her father the card was missing, and they reported the theft on Oct. 9.

Domestic Chokings

-A 30-year-old man allegedly came home drunk on Oct. 6 around 10 p.m. and choked his mother at an Ingersoll Houses apartment. The 50-year-old woman received marks around her neck, but she did not lose consciousness, according to police.

John Curt Colon, 30, was charged with attempted assault in the third degree, attempted criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, menacing in the third degree and harassment in the second degree, according to the Kings County District Attorney’s office.

-Shawn Canada, 35, was arrested  after he allegedly grabbed his girlfriend from behind, choked and slapped her and pushed her to the ground on Ashland Place near the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Harvey Theater around noon on Oct. 9. Police said the girlfriend had visible injuries on her face and neck.

Canada was charged with assault in the third degree, criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, 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.

-A 25-year-old woman told police her boyfriend pulled her hair and choked her until she blacked out near the intersection of Quincy and Downing Street on Oct. 13 at about 7:50 a.m. The woman had no visible injuries, but she complained about neck pains, according to police.