August 18, 2007 / News / Police Blotter / Park Slope

Burglars hit 4 apartments and a church

By Gersh Kuntzman

The Brooklyn Paper

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At least four apartments and one church were broken into — and another church almost broken into — last week in a spate of burglaries. Here’s a rundown:

• On Aug. 7, a 41-year-old Bergen Street man lost his laptop computer, digital projector and iPod after a thief or thieves broke into his apartment sometime between 1 pm and 6 pm, the victim told cops. The apartment is between Fifth and Flatbush avenues.

• Also on Aug. 7, a Sterling Place church lost a CD player and an Epson printer in a 4:30 pm burglary. The church is between Seventh and Flatbush avenues.

• On Aug. 8, two perps broke into a woman’s Dean Street apartment at around 1:30 pm. The 26-year-old said the thugs moved through the house and took a suitcase under her bed that contained $400. The apartment is between Fourth and Fifth avenues.

• On Aug. 9, a thief or thieves broke into a Fourth Avenue apartment at around 10 pm and took three laptop computers valued at more than $4,000.

The 22-year-old victim said the thugs entered through an unlocked rear window in the apartment, which is at Third Street.

• On Aug. 10, a 10th Street apartment was broken into and nearly $2,000 in jewelry was swiped, cops said.

The burglary occurred sometime between 8 am and noon, according to the 32-year-old victim. The thief or thieves had entered through a patio window in the building, which is at Fourth Avenue.

A garnet necklace and a diamond ring were taken.

• Also on Aug. 10, a Fifth Avenue resident lost a fancy computer, a video iPod and $1,600 cash after thieves broke into his apartment, which is between Warren and Baltic streets, at around 3 pm.

• On Aug. 11, a would-be thief tried to break into a Sixth Avenue church at around 3:30 pm, cops said. But a worker at the church, which is at Second Street, said the 5-foot-6, 160-pound white man left without taking anything.

Shelter in storm

More than $3,400 was stolen from the safe inside an Eighth Avenue women’s shelter — and the director says that only five employees know the combination to the lock.

On Aug. 6, the center’s director told cops that when she opened the safe that morning, she discovered that $3,480 was missing from three “clients’ saving envelopes” that had been seured in the safe, which is in the director’s office on the second floor of the building, which is in the armory at 14th Street.

Painful crime

A man who had just come out of the emergency room at New York Methodist Hospital was wounded again — this time when his wallet was swiped from his belongings while he recuperated on Aug. 2.

The 40-year-old man left the ER shortly after noon, but later awoke to discover that the wallet — which contained credit cards and $369 — was gone.

A week later, a hospital worker had her wallet stolen out of the pocket of his pants, which had been hanging in his office at around 9 am. The 41-year-old victim lost credit cards, he told cops.

Screwed

A man walked off with thousands of dollars in construction equipment on Aug. 6 after a resident of a Third Street building let him in because she thought he was one of the workers.

The victim told cops that the 5-foot-8, 180-pound worker showed up around 9:15 am at the building, which is between Fourth and Fifth avenues. Five hours later, a cordless drill, two nail guns, air compressor and a screw gun were gone.

Total value of the haul was $3,504, cops said.

Cops know the identity of the worker.

Left overture

A man who left fancy electronic equipment in a package in his Eighth Avenue lobby on Aug. 6 returned a few minutes later to find the merchandise gone.

The 47-year-old victim told cops that he’d left his laptop and Smart card in his lobby at around 10 pm, but five minutes later it was gone.

The building is at Union Street.

Lock the bike

A man who left two unlocked bikes in front of a Fourth Avenue building on Aug. 8 returned 15 minutes later to find the wheels gone.

Two Trek bikes — each valued at $1,000 — were taken from in front of the building, which is at Douglass Street, in the 7 pm crime.

The victim lives on Avenue C in Manhattan, where, apparently, you can leave a fancy mountain bike unlocked.

Prayer rob

A 72-year-old woman had her purse stolen while she was inside an Eighth Avenue church on Aug. 10.

The woman told cops that her bag had been on the floor of the church, which is between Sixth and Seventh streets, at around 9:45 am.

Five minutes later, the bag — which contained glasses, credit cards and a $10 MetroCard — was gone.

Wheel watch

At least two cars — both fancy — were stolen off Park Slope streets on Aug. 10.

The first car, a 1995 Mercedes Benz, had been parked on Eighth Street between Third and Fourth avenues at around 6 pm. When its owner returned from work eight hours later, the only thing in the spot was someone else’s car.

Later that day, a 1997 BMW was swiped from a spot near the corner of Sixth Avenue and First Street. The owner told cops that he had parked the car at around 10 pm. Three hours later, it was gone.

Purse purloined

If there is one basic rule of shopping, it is this: always take your purse or wallet after completing the transaction.

One Staten Island woman learned that lesson the hard way on Aug. 11 when she lost $120 and various credit cards after leaving her handbag at a Fifth Avenue department store.

The woman told cops that she’d finished making her purchases at around 4:45 pm and walked out of the store, which is between Ninth and 10th streets, without the purse.

Cops said the video surveillance tape shows the next customer on line paying for her purchases by using money from the victim’s handbag.

Bank robbed

A Fifth Avenue bank branch was robbed on Aug. 11 after a short man slipped a note to the teller at around 2:10 pm, cops said.

Very little description is available on the 5-foot-5 thief, who was wearing a blue cap. Cops would not even release the amount of money he stole from the back, which is at Ninth Street.

Bicycle thief

A thief riding a bicycle swiped the purse off a woman’s shoulder on Aug. 11, but hours later was arrested with the purse in his possession, cops said.

The woman told police that she had been walking near the corner of Eighth Avenue and 11th Street at around 4:20 pm when the 48-year-old thug rolled up on his bicycle and grabbed the purse.

He was arrested on Third Avenue and 10th Street, cops said.

Garbage out

A perp tried the old “garbage can” trick at a popular Second Avenue hardware store on Aug. 12, using the self-service checkout counter to pay for a garbage can, but trying to walk out with more than $1,000 in merchandise inside the can.

A security guard quickly intervened and held the 39-year-old man until cops could arrive.

The man had filled the garbage can with various pieces of hardware, including a shower spigot and kitchen accessories.

©2007 The Brooklyn Paper