76th Precinct
Carroll Gardens–Cobble Hill–Red Hook
Crime of passion
Cops are trying to track down a plant-obsessed perp who stole flowers from a Court Street bodega on July 14.
The crook approached the shop between Congress and Amity streets at around midnight, grabbed flora sitting outside the storefront, and fled in the direction of Atlantic Avenue.
A store worker told police the bodega had already been victimized by a flower thief in a previous incident.
Investigators are still working the case — but a police source shared a possible motive.
“It’s not a large quantity of flowers, but I guess he has a girlfriend or something,” he said.
Thick as thieves
A chubby teenager punched a woman in the head in a botched July 19 mugging, according to police.
The 24-year-old victim told investigators she was at the corner of Huntington and Columbia streets at 5:55 pm when a young, Rubenesque assailant slugged her in the back of the head with a closed fist.
The victim managed to hold onto her iPhone and the perp fled.
Junk food
Cops arrested two teenaged girls for trying to steal Gatorade, soda, candy, and marshmallows from a Smith Street pharmacy on July 23.
The suspects — both 16 years old — hid a bottle of Sprite, two sports drinks, a pack of Sour Patch Kids, and some marshmallows in a purse at around 12:45 pm and tried to walk out of the Rite Aid at Warren Street, according to police.
The total value of the failed heist amounted to a little more than $12.
Just checking
A scammer tried to spend five fake travelers checks at Urban Outfitter on Atlantic Avenue — but cashiers turned the crook away on July 23.
The crook tried to pass off the bogus checks — each worth $100 — at around 2 pm, but when workers couldn’t verify the notes, the thief fled from the hipster shop between Clinton and Court streets empty-handed.
Van brute
A robber stole a woman’s wallet in a July 23 mugging at the corner of Van Brunt and King streets.
The perp grabbed the 23-year-old woman’s arm and yanked the wallet from her grasp at around 9:40 pm, then fled with an accomplice and escaped with her debit card and drivers license.
Bike bandit
A thief stole a fancy Italian bicycle near the corner of Smith and Fourth streets on July 20.
The 27-year-old victim locked up her Pelizzoli Leggenda bike — valued at $1,500 — at around 1 pm. When she returned at 2:30 pm, the chain had been cut and the two-wheeler had vanished.
No escape
Cops cuffed a 15-year-old girl accused of attempting to break into a Hick Street apartment from a fire escape on July 16.
Residents of the building near Rapelye Street told cops they spotted the teen climbing on the fire escape between 9:15 pm and 9:30 pm and attempting to enter a residence through a window.
— Ben Müßig
