June 9, 2007 / News / Police Blotter / Bay Ridge–Bensonhurst

This Robin Hood loves the smell of lavender

By Matthew Lysiak and Michael Giardina

for The Brooklyn Paper

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The sweet smell of lavender has inspired poetry, love songs, and now armed robbery.

That was the case when a man entered a sweet smelling Third Avenue fragrance store at around 10 am on May 29 and started talking about the fantastic scent.

The 31-year-old woman behind the counter told cops that the man then pulled up his shirt, flashed the handle of a gun, and helped himself to $600 in the register.

Before leaving the store, which is near 87th Street, he had one more message for the clerk: “I am only doing this to feed my kids,” he said.

Card caper

Don’t blame Mom.

This time, a basketball card collection — of the kind that is too often thrown out by sports-clueless mothers — was stolen from a man’s apartment on May 30.

Cops say the victim left his building, which is near 75th Street, the night before only to return at 10 am to discover his vintage basketball cards, valued at $2,000, had been swiped. He also lost dozens of CDs.

Taxi terror

A 56-year-old woman picked up four passengers in her taxi, but ended up getting taken for a ride herself on June 2.

The trouble began at 9:25 pm, when the victim picked up the four hooligans at the intersection of 86th Street and Seventh Avenue.

Shortly after they got into the car, one of them asked to be dropped off a few blocks down the road. But as the taxi came to a stop on 84th Street near Tenth Avenue, the perps quickly grabbed the driver’s cash and bolted out of the car.

Fortunately, the thugs only made off with $5, and a free ride.

Purse swiped

A 32-year-old woman’s expensive bag was stolen from an apartment lobby on Marine Avenue on June 2,

The heist went down as the victim was waiting in the lobby, near 100th Street, when a man came up from behind, grabbed her purse, and ran off.

The victim wasn’t carrying any cash, but her purse was an expensive Louis Vuitton model, worth $1,400.

Cycle swiped

A 24-year-old man parked his 2002 Honda motorcycle on 71st Street near 13th Avenue on May 30, only to return the next morning to discover the chain cut and his bike missing.

The chopper is valued at $4,500, he told cops.

Dental extract

A landlord looking for rent from his dentist tenant took the doc’s equipment and threatened to throw his equipment on the street on June 2.

The dispute turned heated when the landlord entered the office, which is near 99th Street, and removed some expensive equipment. He then called the dentist and threatened that if he didn’t get his rent soon, the equipment would be thrown into the street.

Police told the landlord he had to give back the property.

Holy crimes

Two Bath Beach churches were broken into on consecutive days last week and robbed of cash and supplies.

The first break-in occurred on May 28 at St. Finbars, on Bath Avenue near Bay 19th Street. At around 11:30 am, the perps pried open the doors and took $300, plus a DVD player and school supplies, police said.

The second swipe occurred the next day at St. Frances Cabrini, a church on 86th Street near Bay 11th Street. The perps broke in around 11 pm, setting off the security alarm and taking $200, police said.

Unfortunately, neither church has security cameras — except, perhaps, for the eyes of a higher power.

Evening break

A 40-year-old man suffered minor injuries when two thugs kicked in the front door of his Van Sicklen Street apartment, punched him and robbed him on June 4.

The break-in went down at around 6:30 pm, when the thugs attacked the man and then rummaged through his pockets. When it was all over, the two criminals swiped $200 in cash and fled the apartment.

Purse stolen

A purse belonging to a Cropsey Avenue nursery home attendant was stolen right out of her locker on May 31.

The 45-year-old discovered the break-in at around 7 am, when she finished up her shift. She lost her handbag, plus credit and debit cards, police said.

There were no witnesses to the break-in at the facility, which is near Bay 32nd Street.

Light swipe

A man who parked his car on Lake Street returned to find it missing its headlights on May 30.

The 38-year-old discovered the lightless car, which was near Avenue T, at around 11:30 am. The 2003 Acura remained with its xenon headlamps gone, police said.

Flat tire hijinx

A middle-aged woman got a flat and her purse stolen, all before her first cup of coffee on May 29.

The woman stopped her car on 20th Avenue, near Bath Avenue, at around 10:30 am. Her car’s flat attracted a thug, who proceeded to swipe her purse, rather than help her. The purse contained $100, including her credit and debit cards, police said.

Bail scam

An elderly woman fell for the ol’ bail-out-your-son scam, handing over $2,560 to a stranger who told her that her son had gotten in trouble on May 29, police said.

The scammer called the 81-year-old woman at her home on Shore Parkway near 20th Avenue at 3:30 pm, and came by later to get the money.

Gym swipe

Though absent from these pages for several weeks, the gym swipe is back.

An 86th Street gym member had his wallet stolen after leaving it in a locker at around 5 pm on May 29. When the 24-year-old gym rat hit the showers an hour later, he found his wallet — and the $100 and credit cards inside it — gone.

It’s not the first time that this gym — which is near 19th Avenue —has made it to the Police Blotter. On April 23, the same workout palace was robbed — one of an astounding eight gym robberies throughout Bensonhurst since January.

Car jack

A man was held at gunpoint and then forced to watch as his car was stolen on May 29.

The victim had parked the car on Cropsey Avenue near Bay 41st Street at around 7 pm. Just after the man locked the door, a thug with a black pistol came out from the shadows and swiped the keys from the victim, police said.

With the gun still trained on his victim, the thug jumped into the 2000 Toyota and sped off down Shore Parkway.

©2007 The Brooklyn Paper