Mas cervezas!
A thief broke into Los Pollitos II on Fifth Avenue on March 21, apparently hoping to steal some cash, but settled for some beer.
The owner of the eatery, which is at Douglass Street, told cops that he left the joint at 1 am. When he returned seven hours later, he saw that steel gate had been hoisted and that the doors had been forced open. But the thieves found nothing in the register, so they settled for the next best thing: an assortment of booze worth $88.
Lousy landlord
An opportunistic thief broke into a Lincoln Place apartment sometime between March 5 and March 15 after the landlord had changed the lock on the front door to gain entry and fix some water damage.
The furious tenant told cops that she had been away from her apartment, which is between Seventh and Eighth avenues, and that when she returned, she found that her TV, guitar, MacBook, and iPod dock were missing. She added that she had a long-standing beef with her landlord.
Write experience
A thief swiped the wallet of a member of the Writers Guild of America on March 21.
The script-writer told cops that the thief must have struck while she was walking on Fifth Avenue between Carroll and President streets at around 4:20 pm. She said she didn’t feel anyone bump her, but when she realized her wallet was missing, she cancelled her credit cards and discovered they had already been used by the bandit, who is also now in possession of her writers union car.
Bar swipe
A thief swiped a late-night drinker’s purse at the Commonwealth Bar on Fifth Avenue March 14.
The victim told cops that she had set her purse down at the bar, which is between 12th and 13th streets, at around 3:35 am. Moments later, she realized that her bag, containing an Australian passport and an assortment of credit cards, was gone.
Car robber
Plenty of cars were broken into within the confines of 78th Precinct last week:
• A thief busted into a car parked at the Lowe’s hardware store on Second Avenue at 10th Street on March 4. The victim told cops that he left his Ford Expedition at around 5 am, but when he returned six hours later, he noticed that his glove compartment had been broken and that his navigation system, credit cards, and $500, were missing.
• A careless driver left his car unlocked at Staples on Fourth Avenue — and a thief stole an assortment of tech gear from it on March 15. The victim told cops that he had parked at the big box store at Third Street at around 5:45 pm. When he returned about an hour later, an iPod, two laptops, and some cameras, which all belong to the Department of Education, had been stolen.
• Another thief broke into a fireman’s car on 11th Street on March 20. The irate public servant told cops that he had parked his 2008 Camry between Seventh and Eighth avenues at around 2 am. When he returned seven hours later, he discovered that his wallet, containing his FDNY ID and an assortment of credit cards had been swiped.
• That same day, a similar car break-in occurred on Flatbush Avenue between Empire Boulevard and Grand Army Plaza — a popular destination among car thieves. The owner of the 2009 BMW told cops that he had parked his stylish ride near the Prospect Park Zoo at around 7:15 am. When he returned four hours later, his passenger-side window had been smashed, and his wallet, containing $150 and credit cards, along with a navigation system and an iPhone, had been stolen.
Tired
A woman’s daily commute took a startling turn when she found that all four tires had been removed from her 2008 Honda parked on Eighth Street on March 16.
The auto owner told cops that she had parked her car between Seventh and Eighth avenues at around 8 pm the day before. When she returned at 7:45 am, she saw that her car was missing four vital parts.
Bike thief!
It must be spring because a bike thief stole a two-wheeler from a rack on Ninth Street on March 18.
The bummed cyclist told cops he parked his ride between Fifth and Sixth avenues at around 7:30 pm. Mere minutes later, his $1,575 bike was gone. To add insult to injury, there was a security camera in the area, but it wasn’t functioning when the crime went down.
Car-tastrophes
At least two cars vanished into the night last week.
• A thief stole a car on St. Marks Avenue. The owner of the 1990 Nissan told cops that he last saw his car between Fifth and Sixth avenues at around 11 pm on the March 19. When he returned 12 hours later, his ride was gone.
• A thief stole a car from the corner of Nevins and Baltic streets on March 20. The owner of the 1995 Nissan Altima told cops that she’d parked her car at around 1 am. When she returned at 2 pm, it was gone.
Played
A thief broke into a Fifth Street apartment on March 18 and made off with a bevy of video game gear.
The galled gamer told cops that he had left his apartment, which is between Fifth and Sixth avenues, at around noon and returned seven hours later to find his front door unlocked and his Xbox system, along with an assortment of games and DVDs, missing.
Lie-brary
A thief posing as a bookworm stole a man’s wallet at the central branch of the Brooklyn Public Library on March 15.
The victim told cops that he had moved to a computer desk at the Grand Army Plaza branch at around 9:30 am when the thief must have swiped his wallet. He lost an assortment of IDs and his birth certificate.
Gym undandy
A thief broke into the Crunch Gym on Flatbush Avenue overnight on March 16.
A employee told cops that he showed up for work at around 9:40 am the next day to find that the safe, containing $2,120, was missing from the health center, which is between Park and Sterling places.
— Stephen Brown