Friday Crime Blotter: Stolen Credit Card Declined for Sneaker Shopper, Suspect Arrested in Bath Beach Shooting & More

PARK SLOPE – After a sneaker-head attempted to use a stolen credit card on a quick shopping spree, police are looking to track down the shoeless bandit.

On Wednesday, December 11, police said the suspect entered a Park Slope Footlocker, at 532 5th Avenue, around 11: 45 am. Inside, he attempted to purchase $365 worth of sneakers, using a credit card that belonged to a 39-year-old woman, police said.

When the card was declined, the would-be scammer took off without the new kicks, heading in an unknown direction. Surveillance video can be seen below:


CENTRAL BROOKLYN – Police reported that a city employee was arrested within the 71st Precinct in central Brooklyn on Wednesday.

Ayana Rawlins-Adams, an NYPD school crossing guard, was arrested and charged with assault, harassment and criminal possession of a weapon.


BOROUGH PARK – After a fatal shooting in Bath Beach over the weekend, police have announced that they’ve arrested a suspect.

On Monday, James Raccagna, 23, of Borough Park, was arrested by the NYPD and charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon, police said.

Raccagna was wanted in connection with the shooting death Mohammed Grine, 23, who was shot in the torso near Shore Parkway and pronounced deceased at Coney Island Hospital.


CANARSIE – The suspect that stole a car with three kids in the backseat last Friday is still at large—and police are trying everything to track him down, so check out the video again if you’ve got a chance. For those who haven’t heard yet:

Last Friday, December 7, around 4:30 pm, the suspect hopped in a running, unattended Acura MDX that was at the corner of Flatlands Avenue and East 81st Street, police said. It’s likely the thief wasn’t aware that there were an 8-year-old girl, a 2-year-old boy and a 1-year-old baby girl in the rear seat, however, and he ended his ride quickly.

When the owners reported the car stolen, a thorough canvass of the area was ordered and the vehicle was found shortly after, abandoned just a couple blocks away at Farragut and East 78th Street, police said. The kids were unhurt.

The would-be car thief, however, is still at large. Police have released the following video in an attempt to identify the suspect:


WILLIAMSBURG – Finally, a man who has been hitting up cellphone stores to steal merchandise in the borough has gone one for two in his crimes, but once is enough: police are looking for their suspect.

Both the attempted and completed robberies took place on Sunday, December 2, police said. First, the suspect headed for the T-Mobile Store at 1224 Fulton Street in Bed-Stuy. It was almost 5:00 pm when he attempted to steal merchandise from the counter of the store, but was stopped by an employee, according to police.

The suspect brandished some sort of metal object and fled the store without any stolen goods, police said, but he wasn’t giving up that easy.

About half an hour later, the man entered the Metro PCS store at 358 Broadway in Williamsburg to try again. Inside the store, he snatched some merchandise out of an employees hand and fled the scene, said police.

No injuries were reported in either attempt. Surveillance photos of the suspect can be seen below: