76th Precinct
Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill–Red Hook
Charitable crooks
Two thugs allegedly pretending to be collecting donations for AIDS victims raided a Court Street pet shop on Jan. 6 — but cops corralled the dirty dogs before they could get too far.
Workers at the Brownstone Aquarium Pet Shop near President Street said a 16-year-old boy and an 18-year-old woman entered the store at 11 am, claiming to represent an AIDS charity seeking donations.
A worker at the store said he wasn’t allowed to give out donations and the two left. But the boy returned a few moments later, pretending to have a gun in his pocket, according to employees.
The teenager emptied the till and ran to his partner, who was standing by an idling livery cab, but Police Officer Patrick Barbato and Sergeant Michael Galletta, who just happened to be driving by, interceded and arrested the two without incident.
Sandman sneak
A thief crept into a Henry Street home on Jan. 3, taking a 64-year-old woman’s purse.
The victim said the thief wiggled through a window of the apartment, between First and Second places, sometime between 8:30 pm and 12:30 am, taking a black purse containing the woman’s checkbook, digital camera, and a pink umbrella.
Creeper catch
A goon forced his way into a Woodhull Street resident’s home on Jan. 3 — but was caught by the apartment tenant.
The victim told police that he and his wife woke up when the heard a noise in their home between Hicks and Henry streets at around midnight.
When they went to investigate, they saw the silhouette of a man racing into the kitchen — and out of an open window that led to the building’s fire escape.
Tool raid
A goon broke into a commercial van left in a Huntington Street parking lot on Dec. 24, taking several power drills, screw guns and a welding machine.
The victim returned to his van, which was parked between Columbia and Hicks streets, on Dec. 27, only to find it had been looted.
CVS crack
A thief pried his way into a Court Street CVS on Jan. 2, taking 175 packs of cigarettes and an assortment of prescription drugs.
Someone forced open the back door of the store between Pacific and Amity streets at 1:25 am, employees told police.
— Thomas Tracy
Reach reporter Thomas Tracy at ttracy@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-2525.
