Wednesday Crime Blotter: Attempted Rape in Williamsburg, MTA Bus Stolen from Broadway Junction & More

WILLIAMSBURG – Police are looking for a suspect wanted for the attempted rape of a 26-year old woman in a Williamsburg apartment building yesterday.

Around 5:30 am on Tuesday, January 1, the suspect approached the woman on the first-floor landing of an apartment building near Havermeyer and South 2nd Street in Williamsburg. The suspect approached the victim from behind and punched her in the back of the head, then climbed on top of her and attempted to remove her underwear, police said.

When the victim resisted her attacker, he fled the scene, heading down South 2nd towards Marcy Avenue, police said. Surveillance video of the suspect can be seen below:

BUSHWICK – On New Year’s Day, a man smashed the front glass of a popular Ethiopian restaurant in Bushwick and fled with some cash. Now, police are trying to track him down.

The burglary took place around 8:45 am on Tuesday, January 1, police said. The suspect approached Bunna Café at 1084 Flushing Avenue, then used a heavy object to break the front door glass. Inside, the suspect grabbed $422 and fled, police said.

Luckily for police, the suspect took the time to look directly into a security camera as he entered the building’s vestibule. Photos can be seen below:

CYPRESS HILLS – There have been a couple instances of joy-riding in MTA buses lately and police are seeking the public’s help in tracking down the young perpetrators.

In one instance, which took place on December 23, three male suspects broke into an MTA bus depot near Broadway Junction, at Williams Place and Herkimer Street, just after midnight, police said.

They then drove an MTA bus off the lot, taking it for a short joyride before abandoning the vehicle at Conduit Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue, near City Line Park, police said.

Video and surveillance photos of the three suspects can be seen below:

SHEEPSHEAD BAY – A few days before Christmas, a man broke into a Sheepshead Bay apartment brandishing a gun and made off with a trashbag full of loot.

The robbery took place around 11:00 am on Friday, December 21, near Ocean Parkway and Avenue Z, police said. The robber broke into a second-story apartment and pulled a gun, demanding money from the 19-year-old woman who was present, throwing her to the ground.

Filling up a garbage bag with items from the apartment, the suspect managed to flee with a small safe containing more than $9000 in cash, two pairs of Air Jordan sneakers and some jewelry, police said.

Surveillance video of the fleeing thief can be seen below:

CYPRESS HILLS – Finally, police are renewing their call for information about the shooting that took place outside a restaurant in Cypress Hills in late November.

Around 4:15 am on Monday, November 26, police said the 18-year-old victim got into a verbal altercation with the unidentified male suspect at El Gran Mar de Plata restaurant at 3175 Fulton Street, near Logan Street.

When the fight escalated, the suspect drew a gun and fired once, striking his victim in the left thigh, police said. The shooter fled and responding EMS transported the victim to a nearby hospital in serious but stable condition.

Surveillance photos of the suspected shooter can be seen below:

Anyone with information in regard to any of the above incidents is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.