iPad pinch
A con artist pretending to be an iPad wholesaler managed to bilk a 31-year-old out of $5,500 during an Aug. 17 meet on 76th Street.
The victim told police he contacted the would-be thief on Craigslist during a search for cheap iPads.
The thief said he had some, but needed $5,500 to procure them.
The victim gave him the money when the two met between 12th and 13th avenues. The iPad provider said he’d return with the goods, but never did.
Choked and robbed
A hulking thief attacked a 37-year-old on 10th Avenue on Aug. 19 as his “handler” directed the mugging from the sidelines.
The victim said that he was nearing 65th Street at 12:30 pm when the two suspects surprised him.
One of the thieves choked and beat the victim, but only when his accomplice told him to do so, the victim said.
The duo ultimately ran off with the man’s MP3 player.
Barking alarm
A creeper broke into a Fourth Avenue home on Aug. 17, but his plans were thwarted when he came across his victim’s security system — a very loud dog.
The 42-year-old tenant said he was napping inside the home between 77th and 78th streets at 7 pm when the thief entered through a rear window.
His dog began barking, alerting the victim to the crime.
The thief ran off, but not without taking a trophy — a Nintendo Wii system, police said.
Speeding by
A thug swiped a woman’s handbag during an Aug. 16 clash on Oliver Street.
The 57-year-old victim told police she was heading home at 9:33 pm when the thief ran up to her from behind and ripped the bag off her shoulders between Marine Avenue and Shore Road.
The thief ran to an awaiting four-door sedan parked at the corner, the victim said.
Forced entries
Thieves were targeting apartments this week. He’s a brief synopsis of what happened:
• A thief forced his way into an 86th Street apartment on Aug. 17, taking a television, PlayStation 3 and $1,200. The victim said a burglar entered his home, located between Colonial Road and Ridge Boulevard, after 5:30 am. He forced open a side window to get inside.
• A laptop, $100 and some credit cards were among the items removed from a 13th Avenue apartment on Aug. 21. The thief crept into the address between 73rd and 74th streets by forcing open a rear window connected to a fire escape. The break-in took place after 7:30 pm, the victim said.
Bag grab
A fast-moving thief swiped a 73-year-old woman’s bag as he zipped down 88th Street on Aug. 16.
The senior was standing between Colonial Road and Ridge Boulevard at 7:40 pm when the thief ran by and grabbed the bag, which was lying at her feet.
— Thomas Tracy
