Two communities located miles apart from each other combined forces to help nab a thug plaguing both neighborhoods.
Bolstered by residents from both Bergen Beach and Fraser and armed with an amazingly accurate police sketch, cops from the 63rd Precinct were able to arrest suspected mugger Otis Boone and charge him for various crimes around Southern Brooklyn.
Boone celebrated his 20th birthday behind bars last week for committing a random pattern of robberies and car break-ins that took him to Bergen Beach, Fraser and Canarsie.
Boone’s alleged crimes began on Feb. 15 when he’s believed to have forced his way into the homes of two senior citizens on Avenue U near E. 69th Street. Both women, who are in their 80s, had left their apartment door unlocked as the home health care worker that assisted them went to the supermarket. Boone stormed in and rifled through their dresser drawers, shoving one of the seniors onto her bed when she told him to leave.
Police say Boone was on New York Avenue between Avenues L and M the next morning, robbing a man of his cellphone at knifepoint. Court papers state that Boone jumped his victim at 8:25 am, pulled a knife and demanded the phone. When his victim didn’t move fast enough, the 19-year-old thug snatched the phone out of the man’s hands and ran off.
About a week later, on Feb. 26, Boone allegedly injured a yeshiva student as he robbed him of his cellphone at knifepoint at E. 32nd Street and Avenue K. Police say Boone stabbed his victim during the ensuing struggle, nicking the young man’s kidney.
Boone was arrested that evening, but not for any of the above crimes: he was apprehended with two others for breaking into cars at the corner of Avenue L and E. 87th Street. Cops caught him with a navigation system and six phone chargers, according to Kings County District Attorney Charles Hynes.
“No one really connected the crimes, as they were in differing neighborhoods and had differing methods,” explained Councilman Lew Fidler.
But cops got a helping hand from a handful of Fraser residents who demanded action about the two violent cellphone robberies during a recent community forum, prompting police to re-interview witnesses and put together a sketch.
The sketch was circulated around Southern Brooklyn, when the witness to the Bergen Beach home invasions identified the man in the picture as the one who had forced his way into a senior citizen’s apartment.
“We couldn’t draw a better picture,” Capt. Michael Deddo, the commanding officer of the 63rd Precinct told us. “As soon as the witnesses saw it, they said, ‘That’s the guy!’ ”
Cops ultimately tied Boone to all four incidents, even though none of them could be connected to each other.
“The only thing similar was the sketch [of the suspect],” Deddo said.
Detectives arrested Boone, who was out on bail for the Canarsie car break-ins, at Brooklyn Criminal Court on March 14 following a routine court appearance. He was charged him with robbery and menacing.
Attempts to reach Boone’s attorney were unsuccessful by Monday afternoon.
