Crime Report: Assaults at Tillary Street Women’s Shelter and Thefts from Cars

Police arrested Justin R. Merritt, 21, after he allegedly stole a bulk supply of Argo hibiscus tea, unsweetened green tea, pickles, tuna salad sandwiches and cobb salads – worth a total of $1,800 – from Applebee’s on the Flatbush Avenue Extension on Dec. 27 between 8:10 and 8:30 p.m. When a restaurant employee attempted to stop Merritt from stealing the items, Merritt allegedly punched him, causing redness and pain in his neck and right shoulder.

Merritt was arrested and charged with robbery in the second and third degrees, assault in the third degree, petit larceny, criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree, menacing in the third degree and harassment in the second degree, according to the Kings County District Attorney’s office.

Including the crime above, 18 felonies and nine arrests were reported in the 88th Precinct between Dec. 23 and 29, compared to 20 felonies and only two arrests the previous week. Two assaults and one burglary were reported at the Tillary Street Women’s Shelter last week. Assaults at the shelter were a trend at the 88th Precinct trend during the summer, but decreased during the fall and early winter. Two stolen cars and two thefts from cars were reported last week, and the Ingersoll Houses were the site for one assault and one attempted assault.

Tillary Street Women’s Shelter Reports

-Two Tillary Women’s Street Shelter residents, Angelica Perez, 44, and Adona Elmore, 29,  were arrested after they pummeled each other with hangers during an argument on Dec. 23 at about 1:30 p.m., police said.

A spokesman for the Kings County District Attorney’s office said no public record is available of the charges.

-Marilu Belen, 27, was arrested after she allegedly hit a 36-year-old fellow Tillary Street Women’s Shelter resident in the face with a cup on Dec. 25 at about 4:20 p.m. The victim was taken to the Brooklyn Hospital Center, police said.

Belen was charged with 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 20-year-old woman told police that she left her pocketbook on her bed at the Tillary Street Women’s Shelter on Dec. 23 at 10 p.m., and when she returned the next day at 9 a.m., the bag – which contained a Betty Boop wallet, TD Bank card, a birth certificate, a Social Security card and insurance cards – was gone. No fraudulent transactions were made on the card, police said.

Incidents at Ingersoll Houses

-Gunnar Santiago, 17, was arrested after he allegedly visited a 19-year-old Ingersoll Houses resident on Dec. 25 at about 10 p.m., fired an air gun at him, missed and blasted a hole in a closet door. The victim told police that he “had problems” with Santiago in the past.

Santiago was charged with attempted assault in the second degree, menacing in the second degree, criminal mischief in the fourth degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, attempted assault in the third degree, menacing in the third degree, disorderly conduct and harassment in the second degree, according to the Kings County District Attorney’s office.

-Cheareen Jones, 36, was arrested after she allegedly punched a 20-year-old woman in the face and scratched her with keys on the grounds of the Ingersoll Houses on Dec. 26 between 4:10 and 4:30 p.m. Before the attack, the victim had confronted Jones for taking pictures of her children, police said. The victim was also arrested, according to the complaint report, but a precinct Community Affairs officer could not explain way. The officer also could not provide identifying information for the victim.

Jones was charged with assault in the third degree, menacing in the second degree, disorderly conduct and harassment in the second degree, according to the Kings County District Attorney’s office.

Security Guard Assaulted

Police arrested Clarence Wilson after he allegedly punched the 59-year-old security guard of a Fulton Street building, knocking him out and leaving a severe cut on the side of his head and nose, on Dec. 27 at about 11 p.m. When an officer tried to arrest him, Wilson flailed his arms and resisted, cops said.

Wilson, 25, was charged with assault in the third degree, resisting arrest, menacing in the third degree and harassment in the second degree, according to the Kings County District Attorney’s office.

Attempted Robbery in Elevator

Kiven D. Pough, 22, was arrested after he allegedly roughed up a 20-year-old man and attempted to rob him inside an elevator at a Fulton Street apartment building on Dec. 29 at about 1 a.m. Pough pushed the man against the elevator wall and reached into his coat pocket, but didn’t take anything, cops said. The victim told police he ran out of the elevator and escaped to a friend’s apartment.

Pough was charged with attempted robbery in the third degree, attempted grand larceny in the fourth degree, attempted assault in the third degree, menacing in the third degree, attempted petit larceny and harassment in the second degree, according to the Kings County District Attorney’s office.

Street Mugging

A 23-year-old woman told police that her ex-boyfriend approached her as she walked on Lafayette Avenue near Classon Avenue on Dec. 29 at about 8 a.m., demanded “What’s going on with you?”, slapped her across the face, ripped her cell phone from her pants pocket and ran away. The woman received medical attention, cops said. The extent of her injuries was not reported.  Her phone did not have tracking software enabled, according to police.

Home Burglaries

-A 25-year-old woman told police that her laptop, iPad Air, video projector and assorted jewelry were inside her Lafayette Avenue home when she left at 6 a.m. on Dec. 24, but when she returned at 5:30 p.m., the items – worth a total of $7,200 – were gone. Officers did not see any signs of a break-in. Police were attempting to determine if a surveillance camera facing the building’s lobby captured the burglary.

-A 19-year-old woman told police that she left her Cumberland Street apartment on Dec. 27 at 6:30 a.m., and when she returned at 7:30 p.m., her door was unlocked and her TV set and wall mount – worth a total of $2,200 – were gone. The woman told police she had locked the doors before she left home. She does not have an alarm system in her apartment, according to police. Police canvassed the area and interviewed other building residents, but didn’t find the burglars.

Church Burglary

Burglars broke through a back window at Emmanuel Baptist Church on Lafayette Avenue and stole an air conditioner and a Dell laptop on Dec. 26 between about 1:30 and 2 a.m., cops said. A burglar alarm alerted police to the break-in. Officers searched the area and could not find the burglars, but they did find a black glove on the fence behind the church. Police said that surveillance cameras in and outside the church may have recorded the theft.

Transit Robbery

Stolen Cars

-A man told police that he realized his 2001 Mercedes was missing

-A 31-year-old woman told police that she parked her 2000 Ford in a no-parking zone on Washington Avenue near Fulton Street at 1 p.m., and when she returned at 4:30 p.m., it was gone. The van contained construction items, police said. The woman told police she still has her car keys. The car was not placed in an impoundment lot, nor was it towed by the city or taken to the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s tow pound, cops said. Police were attempting to determine if an NYPD surveillance camera had footage of the theft.

Thefts from Cars

-A 41-year-old Irving Place resident told police that someone stole her bag from her car trunk on Dec. 25 when she was visiting friends on Prince Street near Myrtle Avenue between 3 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. The bag contained $300 in cash, a Paypal debit card and a checkbook, cops said. The woman told police that she did not open her trunk at all during her trip to her friends’ house. Police said the car did not appear damaged. No fraudulent transactions were reported on the debit card, police said.

A 63-year-old man told police that he parked his company car with the doors unlocked on Quincy Street between Downing Street and Classon Avenue on Dec. 28 at 1 p.m., and when he returned 45 minutes later, his jacket, wallet and keys were missing from inside. The wallet contained a Chase debit card, a Capital One credit card, a driver’s license, a health insurance identification card and $16, police said. No fraudulent transactions were reported on the credit or debit cards, cops said.

Domestic Dispute

Phillip Singleton, 23, was arrested after he allegedly choked the 21-year-old mother of his child and pushed her to the ground when she refused to let him inside her Walt Whitman Houses apartment on Dec. 26 between 2:30 and 2:45 p.m.

A spokesman for the Kings County District Attorney’s office said no public records are available of Singleton’s charges.