Crime Report: Violent Street Robberies and Stolen Cars

Salt shakers were the weapon of choice for two teens when they attacked a 37-year-old woman as she walked on DeKalb Avenue at Ashland Place on June 5 at about 9:20 p.m., police said. They allegedly hit her in the head with the shakers, causing swelling, bruising and pain over her right eye. Emergency Medical Services treated the woman at the scene, police said.

Jordan Gill, 16, was charged with assault in the second and third degrees, menacing in the second degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, menacing in the third degree and harassment in the second degree according to the Kings County District Attorney’s office. The DA’s office does not have charge information for the other attacker, a 13-year-old boy.

Including the crime above, 21 felonies and seven arrests were reported in the 88th Precinct two weeks ago. This report includes seven street robberies, with the thieves assaulting the victims. Cars, vans and motorbikes were also stolen from their parking spots in the nabe last week.

Violent Street Robberies

-A 15-year-old boy was arrested after he pointed an unloaded 22 caliber semi-automatic pistol at a 38-year-old man, elbowed him in the mouth and snatched $10 from him on Clinton Avenue between Greene and Gates Avenues on June 8 at about 6:30 p.m. When an officer tried to arrest him at the scene, he flailed his arms and resisted arrest, police said. An officer took the boy’s gun while he was arrested and police later determined it had been stolen.

The youth was charged with robbery in the second and third degrees, grand larceny in the fourth degree, assault in the third degree, menacing in the second and third degrees, criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree and harassment in the second degree, according to the Kings County District Attorney’s office.

-Ralph B. Grant, 36, was arrested after he allegedly punched a woman in the face and snatched her cell phone on Cumberland Street at Park Avenue on June 4 at about 11 p.m. The woman, 21, was treated at the scene for a cut lip.

Grant was charged with assault in the third 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.

-A 38-year-old man allegedly choked a 35-year-old woman, slammed her head against a tree and snatched her cell phone, identification card and Social Security card at Commodore Barry Park on June 5 at 9:45 p.m.

Edwin Mejias was arrested two hours later on Bedford Avenue between Atlantic Avenue and Pacific Street. Police said they recovered the woman’s belongings. Mejias was charged with robbery in the second and third degrees, grand larceny in the fourth degree, assault in the third degree, criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, petit larceny, criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth 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.

-On June 8 at about 10 p.m., a man punched a 12-year-old boy in the face after the boy refused to hand over his wallet on Myrtle Avenue at Classon Avenue. The man left empty-handed and the boy received medical attention at the scene, police said. Officers searched the area for the man with no success. The boy received medical attention at the scene. A nearby gas station may have footage of the incident on their security cameras, according to police.

-A group of men punched a 20-year-old man in the face, kicked him and hit him with a chair in the back, head and face on Myrtle Avenue between Grand Avenue and Ryerson Street on June 9 at 1:45 p.m., police said. The victim suffered bruises and a cut on his face and the back of his head. Police searched the area but could not find the men.

-Isaiah Campbell, 27, was arrested after he snatched his ex-girlfriend’s phone, broke it and then attacked her, police said. The woman, 26, was walking on Fulton Street at Saint James Place on June 2 at about 8 p.m. when Campbell allegedly grabbed the phone from her. She followed Campbell back to an apartment on Carlton Avenue between Fulton Street and Atlantic Avenues. When she demanded that he return her phone, he threw it on the ground and then picked it up and snapped it in half, police said. Campbell then allegedly pushed and punched her. The woman was treated at the scene for cuts on her face and arms.

Campbell was charged with criminal mischief in the third degree, grand larceny in the fourth degree, assault in the third degree, criminal mischief in the fourth degree, petit larceny, 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.

Car, Van and Motorbike Thefts

-Someone stole a 2013 Ford Escape from its parking space on South Oxford Street between Fulton Street and Atlantic Avenue between June 2 and June 3, police said. The owner, a 55-year-old man, said that he parked the car at about 11 p.m. on June 2, and when he returned the next day at 11 a.m., it was gone.

-A motorbike was stolen from its parking spot on Fleet Walk near Myrtle Avenue on June 5, police said. A 39-year-old man parked the motorbike at 9 p.m., and when he returned at 4:20 p.m., it was gone, according to police. Police searched the area but could not find the motorbike. Surveillance video may be available at a Hudson Walk address in the Ingersoll Houses, police said.

-Someone stole a 2007 BMW from its parking spot on Fulton Street at Gates Avenue on June 5, police said. A 36-year-old woman told police that she parked the car at 10:30 p.m., and when she returned just before midnight, it was gone. Police searched the area but could not find the car. The woman told police that her car has a GPS locator, but it is currently inactive.

-A 2008 Honda Accord was stolen from its parking spot on Clifton Place between Classon and Grand Avenues on June 8, police said. A 27-year-old man told police that he parked the car at 9 a.m., and when he returned at 2 p.m., it was gone. Police searched the area but could not find the car. The car was not at the tow pound, nor was it taken by a city marshal, police said.

Theft from Truck

Someone stole an Android tablet from a Verizon truck parked on Myrtle Avenue between Clermont Avenue and Adelphi Street on May 18. The driver parked the truck at 1 p.m., and when he returned at 2 p.m., the tablet was gone, police said. The driver reported the theft on June 4, and told cops that he delayed because Verizon was not willing to pay him overtime to wait for police arrival.

Home Burglaries

-A 24-year-old woman told police she spotted a burglary suspect lurking outside the window of her apartment on Saint James Place between Lafayette and Greene Avenues on May 24 about 9:45 p.m. The suspect, who cops said burglarized several apartments in the building, did not take any of the woman’s belongings, according to police. Cops said the suspect left a cane at the scene and was seen in the area on security camera footage. The woman reported the incident on June 4.

-A chain, a heart pendant and bangles – worth a total of $3,500 – were stolen from a 50-year-old woman’s apartment on Clinton Avenue between Greene and Lafayette Avenues between May 27 and 29, police said. The woman told police that she left her belongings under her pillow at 2 p.m. on May 27. She said a Department of Housing Preservation and Development worker came to her apartment on May 28 to do repairs, and she noticed the items were gone after the worker left.

Attempted Home Burglary

On June 8 at 2:45 p.m., police responded to a radio alert about a suspicious person and found Christopher D. Williams, 37, allegedly using a crowbar to break into a Fleet Walk apartment in the Ingersoll Houses. Police said Williams also used wired concrete cement blocks to damage the door.

Williams was arrested at the scene and charged with burglary in the second and third degrees, criminal trespass in the second and third degrees, possession of burglars’ tools, criminal mischief in the fourth degree and trespass, according to the Kings County District Attorney’s office.

Burglary on Campus

Between June 6 and June 7, someone stole a MacBook from a Pratt Institute administrative office on Willoughby Avenue, police said. The laptop has a tracking device. There are no security cameras in the surrounding area or inside the building, according to police.

Theft During Street Nap

A 25-year-old man sleeping on the sidewalk on DeKalb Avenue at Carlton Avenue on June 3 was startled awake at 3:45 a.m. to find a man going through his pockets, taking his wallet. The wallet, which has not been recovered, contained an identification card and a Manhattan bank card, but no cash. The victim did not sustain any injuries, police said.

Thefts in Restaurants

-A 54-year-old woman reported her wallet stolen when she was inside the Gourmet Garden 8 Chinese restaurant on DeKalb Avenue between Ashland Place and Saint Felix Street on June 5 at 2:30 p.m. The wallet contained $250, a TD Bank debit card, a benefit card with $98 in food stamps, a New York State identification card and a medical insurance card.

-A 31-year-old woman told police that she was at the Stonehome Wine Bar on Lafayette Avenue between South Elliott Place and South Portland Avenue on June 6 at 5:30 p.m. when she realized her card case – containing a CitiBank debit MasterCard, a Japanese Visa card, a musician’s union card and a card with her social security number – was missing. When she called her credit card company, she discovered that purchases were made on the card for $860, $140, $40 and $10.

Unauthorized Bank Account Usage

A 30-year-old man who lives on Clinton Avenue between Myrtle and Willoughby Avenues told police that someone used his personal information to open a credit card account without his knowledge, and then charged $1,369 to the card between April 3 and June 5.

Domestic Dispute

A 15-year-old girl told police that her father smacked her face, pulled out her hair and took her cell phone at her house on Grand Avenue between Greene and Gates Avenues on June 8 at about 5 p.m. The girl said that her father had unlawfully entered the home. She was taken to the Brooklyn Hospital Center for her injuries, according to police.

Her father, Craige L. Sanchez, 43, was charged with burglary in the third degree, assault in the third degree, criminal trespass in the second degree, petit larceny, criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree, endangering the welfare of a child, attempted assault in the third degree, menacing in the third degree, trespass and harassment in the second degree, according to the Kings County District Attorney’s office.