Suspect In Recent Incident Is Arrested, And It Was A Neighbor Who Helped Nab Him

“Hey man, you got ’em.”

That’s what a cop told Charles Henderson, a neighbor who was significantly involved in the arrest of 29-year-old Justin Farrow, who was charged with robbery in the first degree for the most recent incident of gun-point muggings in the area.

On Saturday, August 29 at 11:10pm, a 21-year-old woman was walking near 19th Street and Seeley Street when cops say the suspect — who is believed to be Farrow — showed his gun and fled with the victim’s purse, which contained a cell phone, $50 cash, and a MetroCard.

According to the police, four other incidents took place in close proximity between Thursday, August 20 and Thursday August 27 that may be linked to the incident on August 29:

• Thursday, August 20, 2am: A 54-year-old woman was walking near East 7th Street and Caton Avenue. The suspect showed his gun and fled with the victim’s purse, which contained a cell phone, $60 cash, and jewelry.

• Sunday, August 23, 12:30am: A 35-year-old woman was walking from the Fort Hamilton F train station. The suspect showed his gun and fled with the victim’s purse, which contained a cell phone, $45 cash, and a gift card.

• Thursday, August 27, 12:49am: A 28-year-old woman was walking near Ocean Parkway and Caton Avenue. The suspect showed his gun and the victim refused to give her bag to the suspect. The suspect hit the victim on the head with his gun, and fled with the victim’s purse, which contained a cell phone and $25 cash.

• Thursday, August 27, 1:09am: A 34 year-old woman was walking near East 3rd Street and Caton Avenue. The suspect showed his gun and fled with the victim’s purse, which contained a cell phone and $12 cash.

The police are still investigating to determine whether or not the arrested suspect is connected to all five incidents.

Henderson, who asked to remain anonymous for our previous reporting of the most recent incident, originally spotted the suspect immediately after the mugging on August 29.

On Friday, September 4, Henderson stopped into the Dunkin Donuts at 250 Prospect Park West (between Prospect Avenue and Windsor Place). Henderson said, “I saw him sitting at the first table. I said to myself, ‘That’s the guy.’:

“I wanted to get a good look at him, so I went outside to my dog, using it as an opportunity to get a good look at him through the store window,” he said. “He’s staring right back at me. And I saw the bag on the ground. The same one he was wearing the other night [August 29]. And he had the same beard as the guy I saw the other night.”

But Henderson just wasn’t sure if this was the guy.

“The truth is I’m sensitive to profiling, especially with all that’s going on. So I sat down at the circle [Bartel-Pritchard Square] to think about it,” said Henderson.

But the story doesn’t end there.

While Henderson was walking home, he passed by the former Bishop Ford High School. “The other night [August 29], I saw him when I was sitting on the steps. And then he shows up now. Right in the same place.”

After placing two calls to 911, (Henderson described the first person to pick up the call as “adversarial”), an officer soon drove up to him. “The officer told me that he has read about the incidents in both South Slope News and DNAinfo.”

Henderson explains that the suspect was soon cornered. “He jumped the fence in front of Uncle Louie G’s [157 Prospect Park Southwest near Vanderbilt Street] and couldn’t get out. He tried to throw the gun over the fence between Louie G’s and the apartment building next to it. But the cops found the gun without a problem.”

Henderson was then brought down to the 72nd Precinct where his statement was taken.

“It’s all pretty surreal,” said Henderson. “The officers said I may have broken this case wide open. They were telling me I was a hero. But all the credit has to go to the 72nd Precinct. They acted so fast.”

As Henderson began to leave the precinct, he was told that he would be commended by the department at some point in the future.

“I’m just glad he’s locked up. I think he’s going to be locked up for a long time.”

UPDATE 9/8/15: According to the NYPD, Farrow, a resident of Bed-Stuy, was charged with robbery for the five incidents, and has also been charged with criminal possession of a weapon.