Crime Report: Police Make Arrest in Murder of Gilbert Kelly

Police arrested Victorious Kingsberry,18, yesterday in connection with the March 15 shooting death of Gilbert Kelly, a Clinton Hill local who took care of the block on Grand Avenue between Putnam and Gates Avenues. According to the police, Kingsberry is charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon.

Between April 14 and April 20, 23 felonies and eight arrests were reported in the 88th Precinct Locals also reported home invasions, robberies at gunpoint and knifepoint and assaults.

Theft from Hospital

Police arrested Brooklyn Hospital Center employee Barbara Benfante, 46, on April 15 for allegedly stealing $7,153 worth of pain medication, including morphine and hydromorphine since January 2013. Hospital staff told police that Benfante had used her login code and password to dispense drugs from a hospital machine, and that she would request medication for patients who did not have a corresponding order from their treating physicians.

Benfante is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third, fifth and seventh degrees, grand larceny in the third and fourth degrees, criminal possession of stolen property in the third, fourth fifth and degrees and petit larceny, according to the Kings County District Attorney’s office.

Home Invasions

-A man and a woman robbed a 78-year-old man in his apartment in the Whitman Houses on April 17. He told police that t. [hey knocked on the door and when he opened, they pushed him inside. “I don’t want to hurt you,” the man told the victim. “Give me your wallet.” The robber then went into the bedroom and took a wallet containing $400, an HSBC debit card and a Health First insurance card.

– Three thieves tied up and robbed a 75-year-old man and his girlfriend at gunpoint in their home in the Ingersoll Houses shortly after midnight on April 18. The man told police he was in the kitchen when he heard a knock on the door. When he answered, three men pushed their way into the apartment. One man held a small black and silver handgun on them and said, “Don’t f****** look at me or I’ll blow your head off.” The two other thieves made them lie down on the living room floor and tied their legs with a belt and a red shirt. They stole a pouch with $800 from the man’s waistband and snatched three gold chains from his neck, and grabbed the girlfriend’s black Boost Mobile cellphone from her hand. The man said the thieves then went into the bedrooms and took his wallet, with his Social Security card, Capital One credit card, MCU debit card, Medicare card, Macy’s credit card and New York State state identification. The thieves also took a lock, which had the apartment front door key attached to it.

Robbery at Knifepoint

Three thieves held up a 49-year-old man at knifepoint while he was walking home on Fulton Street near Washington Avenue on April 16 at 11:30 p.m. He told police that the men drew knives and one thief said, “I come to collect.” He cut the man’s jacket and stole $590 and his AT&T cellphone from his pocket. The thieves ran north on Washington Avenue. The man also told police that one of the thieves had damaged his glasses, though he was not injured.

Robbery at Gunpoint

A deliveryman told police that he was held up at gunpoint while making a food delivery to an apartment on Lefferts Place near Grand Avenue at 9 p.m. on April 18. He said he was on the front stoop when three men came from behind. One of the men acted like he had a gun in his pocket and said, “Don’t move, I’ve got a gun.” The thieves pushed the man into the lobby of the apartment building. One thief said, “Give me your money,” then went through the man’s pockets and stole $830, a white Samsung Note smartphone. The thieves also grabbed the order of Chinese food. Police searched but could not find the thieves.

Assaults

-A 34-year-old man told police that someone hit on his right shoulder and lower back with an unknown object while he was walking home on Fulton Street near Saint James Place from Chance 11 Bar & Grill at 1:30 a.m. on April 15.

– Police arrested Michael Gray, 44 for allegedly whipping a 49-year-old man in the face with a dog leash, then drawing a gun and threatening to kill him before stabbing him with a fork. on April 17 at 8 p.m. on Washington Avenue near Myrtle Avenue. The man told police Gray hit him with a dog leash on the left side of his face, then drew a knife, pitchfork and a gun and tried to stab him, saying he was going to kill him. Gray ran off and police arrested him after a brief search. Gray is charged with assault in the second and third degree, menacing in the second and third degrees, resisting arrest, criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree and harassment in the second degree, according to the Kings County District Attorney’s office.

-Police arrested Yesenia Jimenez, 20, for allegedly attacking a 30-year-old man on April 18 in his apartment in the Walt Whitman Houses. The victim told police that Jimenez first grabbed his wallet from his pocket, ran into the bedroom and destroyed three of his bank cards. She then allegedly grabbed his neck and slashed his jacket with a can opener. He also told police that she pushed over a stroller with an eight-month-old child strapped in and kicked the stroller several times. Police said the child was not hurt. Jimenez is charged with assault in the third degree, criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, criminal mischief in the fourth degree, endangering the welfare of a child, 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.

Attempted Robbery Arrest

Police arrested Nicholas Stidwell, 29 on April 17 for allegedly throwing a cup of blood at a police officer and trying to grab his gun while he was in a prison ward in the Brooklyn Hospital Center on January 31. Police said he also tried to grab another police officer’s gun. He was arrested after he was released from the hospital, according to police. Stidwell is charged with attempted robbery in the third degree, aggravated harassment of an employee by an inmate and harassment in the second degree.

Attempted Theft

A 59-year-old building superintendent confronted a would-be thief on April 14 at 6:45 a.m. when he was opening the laundry room of an apartment building on Lefferts Place near Classon Avenue. He told police that the thief hit him on the face with a wrench and fled. The super refused medical treatment. Police searched but could not find the thief.

Stolen Harpsichord

A 50-year-old woman told police on April 18 that she had lent a handmade harpsichord worth $3,000, to the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church at 85 South Oxford Street on February 9, but when she came back for it on April 15, church personnel told her that the instrument  “had been removed by the owner several years ago.” The woman said that she is the owner and had not given anyone permission to anyone to remove it.

Thefts from Homes

-A 31-year-old woman reported that when she returned to her Irving Place apartment on April 16 after a six-day absence, her General Electric Stove, Maytag washer, General Electric clothes dryer had been stolen. She told police that she had locked her home. Police said the thief broke in through the front door.

-A 57-year-old woman told police on April 18 that someone had entered her home on Fort Greene Place near Lafayette Avenue the night before and stoleher iPad and wallet with $250. She said she and her son were home asleep and did not hear anyone come in.

-A 26-year-old woman found her Dell tablet and 32-inch LED television missing from her apartment in the Ingersoll Houses when she came back from an overnight trip to Atlantic City on April 20. She told police no one had authorized access to the apartment while she was gone.

Break In Arrest

Police arrested Leonard Wyatt, 28 and Valencio Roberts, 23 for allegedly breaking into a vacant apartment in the Ingersoll Houses on April 20. Police were responding to an unrelated call when they found the pair walking out of the apartment. Wyatt is charged with criminal trespass in the second and third degrees, possession of burglar’s tools and trespass, and Thomas is charged with criminal trespass in the second and third degrees and trespass, according to the Kings County District Attorney’s office.

Counterfeit Check Arrest

Police arrested Tyrone Morant, 23, on April 16 for allegedly depositing counterfeit checks at the Capital One bank at 858 Fulton Street on Sept. 26 and 27. Police said he was seen on video depositing a check for $2,000.33 on Sept. 26 and another check for $1,500.33 the next day into the same Capital One account. The bank later discovered the checks were fraudulent. Morant allegedly withdrew $20 from the account on Sept. 27 and then bought a U.S.P.S. money order for $3,500 at a post office at 450 Lexington Avenue. Police said he cashed the money order on Sept. 28 at another post office. Police said he signed name and provided two forms of identification to cash the money order. Morant is charged with grand larceny in the fourth degree, petit larceny and criminal possession of a forged instrument in the third degree, according to the Kings County District Attorney’s office.

Cellphone Fraud

A 51-year-old man told police on April 15 that someone had opened a Verizon cellphone account in his name. He discovered the fraud when he received a bill for $286 the day before.

Smartphone Thefts

-Police arrested Derrick Braithwaite, 18, and a 16-year-old boy for allegedly stealing two smartphones on April 15. The pair allegedly stole an iPhone from a 29-year-old man while he was walking on Washington Avenue near Willoughby Avenue at 5:30 p.m. They then ran through the Fort Greene Park and grabbed a Samsung Galaxy 3 from a 36-year-old man as he was walking by the tennis courts. One of the thieves said, “Let it go man or we’re going to do something,” as the man struggled with them. Police used the Find My iPhone app to track the thieves to Nostrand Avenue and Newkirk Avenue in Crown Heights.

Braithwaite is charged with robbery in the second and third degrees, grand larceny in the fourth degree, 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. The teenager is charged with robbery in the second and third degrees, grand larceny in the fourth degree, assault in the third degree, petit larceny, criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree, menacing in the third degree, harassment in the second degree and criminal possession of marijuana.

-A 22-year-old woman told police that a man came from behind and snatched her iPhone from her hand while she was walking on DeKalb Avenue and Rockwell Place at 5 p.m. on April 18. She said the man ran north on Rockwell Place. Police tracked the phone to Myrtle Avenue and North Portland Avenue but could not find the thief.

Thefts from Cars

-A 39-year-old man told police on April 16 that he broke his car key in the lock of his car door and left it parked and unlocked that afternoon on Waverly Avenue near DeKalb Avenue and came back four hours later to find his wallet, with his Bank of America and Capital One credit cards, New York State driver’s license, New York City Department of Sanitation work identification and Social Security card, gone.

-A woman told police on April 17 that she had parked her car on Cumberland Street near Lafayette Avenue on April 7 and came back the next morning to find her Hasselblad camera, Planter 80 mm lens, Hasselblad viewfinder, camera bag and tool bag missing. Police did not report the value of the missing items.

Theft from Bank Account

A 60-year-old man told police that someone had withdrawn $40 from his Chase bank account on April 16 from the ATM in the Fulton Deli and Convenience Inc. at 707 Fulton Street.

Domestic Violence

Police arrested Anita Thomas, 56, for allegedly stabbing her 59-year-old boyfriend in the left thigh after an argument on April 19 in their home in the Walt Whitman Houses. The man was treated at Brooklyn Hospital Center. Thomas is charged with assault in the third degree, menacing in the second degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth 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.