Crime Report: Choking Assaults, Fraud and Home Robberies

A man who allegedly posed first as a real estate agent and later as a uniformed 88th Precinct police officer was arrested in Queens on March 4 for defrauding a 27-year-old woman in a purported apartment security-deposit scam.

The woman told police that Christopher Hutchinson, 37, claimed to be a real estate agent when she paid him $2,250 as an apartment security deposit on Dec. 14. She later demanded her money back, police reported. Hutchinson allegedly met her on Jan. 24 dressed in what appeared to be a police uniform in front of the 88th Precinct, where he claimed to work. He gave her $800 in cash and a personal check for $1,450, which later bounced, police reported.

Hutchinson was arrested by cops in the 108th Precinct, based in Long Island City. Police could not immediately say if he was a member of the New York Police Department. The Queens County District Attorney’s office could not provide information on the charges against Hutchinson.

Including the above crime, eight arrests and 27 felonies were reported in the 88th Precinct between March 3 and March 9. Locals also reported assaults, burglaries and fraud.

Choking Assaults

-Police arrested Jose Ayala, 26, on March 6 for allegedly choking and threatening a 23-year-old woman with a gun two days previously on Washington Avenue near Park Avenue. The woman told police that Ayala also snatched her cellphone. Police said that Ayala violated a court order of protection barring him from approaching the woman.

Ayala is charged with robbery in the second and third degree, aggravated criminal contempt, grand larceny in the fourth degree, criminal contempt in the first and second degrees, assault in the third degree, criminal obstruction of breathing or blood flow, petit larceny, criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree, attempted assault in the third degree and menacing in the third degree, according to the Kings County District Attorney’s office.

-Police arrested Eric Bell, 34, on March 7 for allegedly choking a 25-year-old pregnant woman in an apartment on Quincy Street near Downing Street. She told police that Bell punched her in the face and stomach, choked her until she lost consciousness and put a sock in her mouth. Emergency Medical Technicians treated her at the scene.

Bell is 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.

Assaults

-A 69-year-old man told police that an acquaintance punched him in the mouth, breaking a tooth, and stole his Android smartphone during an argument in his home on Clinton Avenue near Park Avenue on March 2. He told cops the thief said, “I’m going to kill all of you,” before running away down Park Avenue.

-Police arrested Naquaya Johnson, 18, and a 16-year-old girl on March 6 for allegedly attacking and trying to rob a 16-year-old girl on the subway the previous day at 2 p.m. The victim told police she was riding the D train with a friend when the attackers tried to grab her bag. She said that they grabbed her hair and slammed her head into a subway pole while six to seven other teenagers egged them on. The group fled at the Atlantic Avenue stop. The Kings County District Attorney’s office could not provide information on the charges for the 16-year-old as she is a minor and did not have information on charges for Johnson.

-A 47-year-old woman told police that she was hit on the back with a belt while trying to break up a group fight on Myrtle Avenue near Prince Street on March 8 at 10 p.m. She was taken to the Brooklyn Hospital Center for treatment

Assault at Tillary Street Women’s Shelter

Two Tillary Street Women’s Shelter residents were arrested after an argument turned into a fight on March 3. Police said Joyice Edmontson, 44, allegedly hit Rebecca Brown, 62, with a crutch and broke her thumb and Brown allegedly hit Edmontson with her cane. Brown was taken to the Brooklyn Hospital Center for treatment.

Edmontson is charged with assault in the second and third degrees, 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. Brown is charged with assault in the third 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.

Home Burglaries

-A 31-year-old woman told police that her home on Cambridge Place near Gates Avenue was burglarized while she was sleeping on March 3. She told police that someone took her MacBook Pro laptop, iPad and wallet. Police arrested Robert Hatton, 44, that day when he was found with one of her credit cards. Hatton is charged with criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree, according to the Kings County District Attorney’s office.

-A 34-year-old woman told police that someone had stolen an iPad, a MacBook Air and a gold necklace, worth a total of $2,149, from her apartment on South Oxford Street near Lafayette Avenue on March 7.

-Police arrested Ladchia Brookshire, 37, for allegedly breaking into a 48-year-old man’s house on Lefferts Place near Grand Avenue, threatening him with a knife and throwing bleach on his clothes on March 8. The man told police that he caught Brookshire in his apartment at 3 a.m. and that she pulled a knife on him when he followed her after she fled the apartment. He also said that she took $20 from his dresser.

Brookshire is charged with burglary in the second and third degrees, criminal trespass in the second degree, criminal mischief in the fourth degree, robbery in the first and 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.

Theft from Roommate

A 44-year-old woman told police that her roommate came home drunk to their apartment on Adelphi Street near DeKalb Avenue, threw their cable box out the window and stole her wallet while fleeing the apartment on March 8 at 12:45 a.m. Police searched but could not find the roommate.

Theft from Restaurant

A worker at The Smoke Joint at 87 South Elliott Place told police that someone had burglarized the restaurant during the night on March 4. He told police that he was opening the restaurant that morning and realized that the back door lock was broken and $350 was missing from the two cash registers.

Theft from Apartment Building

A 41-year-old woman told police on March 7 that a man wearing a Fed-Ex uniform stole a package containing a J. Crew sweater from a table in the lobby of an apartment building on Grand Avenue near Park Avenue on Feb. 28. She said that the building superintendent followed the man outside and did not see him get into a Fed-Ex truck.

iPhone Theft

A 13-year-old boy told police that a man stole his iPhone while he was waiting for the bus on Grand Avenue near Greene Avenue on March 4 at 4:50 p.m. He said that a man came up to him and said, “Show me what you have.” The frightened boy showed him his phone and the man snatched it and ran off.

Luggage Theft

A woman told police on March 3 that her Samsonite luggage containing clothes and toys had been stolen on Feb. 23 from outside her house on Saint James Place near Gates Avenue.

Theft at Pratt

A worker at Pratt Institute told police on March 3 that he discovered a Nikon camera and lens worth $1,489 was missing when he was doing inventory. He said that the camera was taken from a shared space used by students and staff.

Credit Card Fraud

A 74-year-old man told police on March 3 that someone used his personal information to open a Bank of America Visa credit card. He discovered the fraud when he received a credit card statement for $9,099.32.

Theft from Bank Accounts

-A 27-year-old man told police on March 6 that someone used his personal information to gain access to his Pratt Institute Discover debit card and ran up $17,046.45 in charges.

-A 21-year-old man told police on March 3 that someone withdrew $300 from her bank account after she lost her Chase ATM card.

Donation Fraud

A 69-year-old woman told police that two men deceived her into giving them $6,000 in cash, which they said would be donated to a church in Africa on March 6. She told police that the men gave her a prayer cloth filled with shredded paper in return. Police could not provide details on the scam.

Stolen Wallet

A 64-year-old woman told police that someone stole her wallet when she left it briefly unattended during a business transaction at the Chase Bank at 402 Myrtle Avenue on March 3.

Attempted ATM Robbery

A worker at the Clinton Park Café at 274 Hall Street told police that someone had tried to break into the restaurant’s ATM on March 9. He said the ATM was damaged but nothing had been taken.

Stolen Bike

A 25-year-old woman told police that her locked Trek Lexa road bike had been stolen from South Oxford Street near Hanson Place on March 8.

Stolen Motorcycle

A 35-year-old man told police on March 8 that his 2008 DUC Hypermotard motorcycle was stolen from where he had parked it the precious night on Cambridge Place near Green Avenue.