94th Precinct
Greenpoint–Northside
Vigilante justice
Two men who claimed to be police shook down a scared litterbug for $60 on Meeker Avenue on Nov. 2.
The litterbug told police that he tossed some trash in the parking lot of a fast-food chain between Kingsland and Morgan avenues at 12:50 pm. A moment later, two men came up to him and showed him shields.
“Hold on,” said one of the men. “What you are doing is illegal.”
The fake cops told the man that they would write him a ticket if he did not give them $60 on the spot. They followed him to his house, but he could not find any money there, so they walked him to an automatic teller machine, where he withdrew $60 and gave it to the men, the real cops reported.
Can’t phone home
A group of punks surrounded a 16-year-old sitting on a McCarren Park bench on Oct. 30, and shook him down for his phone.
The victim told police that he was sitting on a bench in the green space near Union Avenue and Driggs Street at 12:30 pm when the four men surrounded him. One of the men put his hands around the victim’s waist and started to go through his pockets, while the other three surrounded him on the bench.
The victim stood up and dropped his phone on the ground so that he could get away. The robbers grabbed his phone and ran off.
Fruity attack
Police cuffed a man who they say attacked and assaulted a Nassau Avenue shop owner on Nov. 1 when he tried to confront him for stealing fruit.
The owner told police he was in his shop between Eckford Street and McGuinness Boulevard at 10:24 pm when he saw a 40-year-old man grabbing apples from the bin outside of and stuffing them into his pockets.
When the victim confronted the suspect, he put his hands around the victim’s neck and pushed him to the ground, cops claim. The alleged thief then tried to cover the shop owner’s mouth and nose with his jacket, and then bit his ear, according to reports.
The victim suffered swelling and bleeding to his ear and multiple scratches and his chest and neck and was taken to Woodhall Hospital, while police charged the 40-year-old man with robbery.
Tour de robbery
An Australian tourist felt the wrong side of Brooklyn crime when two gun-toting robbers shook him down for his bicycle on Wythe Avenue on Nov. 5.
The victim told police he was riding his bike near N. 14th Street at 12:50 am when two men stood in front of him.
“Give me your backpack,” one of the robbers said while lifting his shirt to show a weapon in his waistband. The man handed over his backpack, which contained his laptop. The goons then asked for his bike. The victim handed over his bicycle and the men rode off.
— Danielle Furfaro
