Bleach leech

A cigarette-loving crook broke into Deli in the Slope on Butler Street overnight on March 24, taking $13,900 worth of goods and wiping away the DNA evidence with the cleansing power of bleach.

The victim told police that he closed the grocery store, between Third and Fourth avenues, at 11 pm that night. Sometime before the owner returned seven hours later, the thief drilled a hole through the side wall, cut the alarm wires, took his loot and left the same way he came in.

He got away with $5,000 from the ATM, $4,500 from the registers, a DVR recorder for the security system, and $1,900 worth of Marlboros, Newports and Camel Lights.

Cap’n Hook

A woman slashed a man across the face with a hook knife on March 28, demanding his cellphone and wallet, the police reported.

The victim was at the corner of Third Avenue and Ninth Street at 10 pm when the lady thug approached, pulled out her weapon and asked for his stuff. The victim did not follow orders, so she sliced him from his left ear to his chin and fled.

Delivered!

Two men were arrested for attempting to rob apartments along Eighth Avenue on March 23.

Cops said that the suspected thieves were casing several buildings around 1:30 pm and, when they exited an apartment building between First and Second streets, police questioned the devious duo.

The two perps claimed that they were delivery boys, but one tenant said they had, in fact, tried to enter his apartment by jamming something in the door lock.

Natural steal

A crook stole a bike from a tree it had been chained to sometime between March 21 and 23.

The victim left his bike — worth $1,080 with its chain — at the corner of Seventh Avenue and Sterling Place at around 8 am. When he returned to the tree two days later at 10:30 pm, it was gone.

Kodak moment

A bandit broke into an Eighth Avenue apartment on March 25, nabbing $3,150 worth of stuff.

The victim left her apartment, on the corner of Fifth Street, at 8 am — with her window unlocked. This gave the thief a chance to climb the fire escape and sneak into her place. When she returned at 5:30 pm, her laptop, an MP3 player, a Kodak camera and printer and $200 were missing.

An Apple a day

A burglar bashed his way through the windows of two St. Marks Avenue apartments on March 25, swiping $5,900 worth of stuff.

One victim left her apartment, between Fifth and Sixth avenues, at 8 am to go to work. The thief forced his way in through the window near the fire escape and fled before the victim returned eight hours later. Her Apple laptop and a pair of earrings were gone.

A man from the same building also reported that the crook broke in through the window while he was gone between 8 am and 4:45 pm. This time, the perp got not one, but two Apple laptops and a Sony Playstation.

No steal

A thug smashed his way through the front door of a President Street apartment on March 27 — yet took nothing!

The victim left her apartment, between Fourth and Fifth avenues, at around 5 pm and returned six hours later to find that a thug had kicked in the door.

She estimated that it would cost her $250 to fix it.

Vehicle for crime

At least three cars were broken into or stolen last week:

• A man’s wallet was taken from his car, which was being repaired at a body shop on 14th Street between Third and Fourth avenues. When he went to go pick up his car on March 24 at 2 pm, he noticed his stuff was gone. He later discovered even worse news: $800 had been spent with his debit card.

• A thug smashed his way into a Lexus that had been parked on Seventh Street overnight on March 26. The victim left his car between Eighth Avenue and Prospect Park West, where a thief broke through a window to take the airbags, a navigation system, a cellphone charger, and $10 in quarters.

• A crook stole a 2002 Honda Odyssey from Fifth Avenue on March 28. The victim reported that he left the car parked and unlocked — with the key in the ignition and the engine on, which might have been a mistake — at around 12:30 am.

One minute later, it was gone.

Emilia Brock

©2009 Community Newspaper Group