No charm
A sticky-fingered thief was arrested last week after he was allegedly caught “going back to the well” — namely, the Brooklyn Industries store in Cobble Hill.
Officials allege that 39-year-old Anibal Maldonado walked into the store at 100 Smith Street near Atlantic Avenue at 5 p.m. on December 21 and took seven hooded sweatshirts and ran out.
Maldonado got away with the crime, police alleged, but found himself in trouble with the law when he allegedly returned to the store on December 28.
Workers alleged that Maldonado entered the store at 10:30 a.m. and again swiped a handful of sweatshirts.
He ran out of the store, but the workers had already called police, who arrested Maldonado a short time later, charging him with multiple counts of petit larceny and criminal possession of stolen property.
Fiscal meltdown
A 27-year-old bar employee fired from his job was so upset with his dismissal that he allegedly pulled a knife on his former boss, officials allege.
Officials from the Kings County District Attorney’s office said that Alain Edwards had just been let go from the Jay Street watering hole near Front Street in DUMBO when he allegedly pulled a knife on his employer.
Cops were called and Edwards was taken into custody, charged with menacing, criminal possession of a weapon and menacing.
Knocked out
An area woman was knocked unconscious when she was attacked by a 25-year-old woman on Flatbush Avenue.
Police said that the woman was arguing with Daffam Rayson inside an office near Livingston Street on the afternoon of December 22 when the suspect allegedly picked up a computer monitor and threw it at her.
The woman managed to deflect the monitor, but could not deflect the oncoming assault.
Witnesses said that the victim was grabbed by the neck, thrown to the floor.
Police said that the woman lost consciousness in the ensuing attack.
She was taken to a nearby hospital where she was treated for a broken hand and injuries to her face and legs. She also suffered a broken tooth, police alleged.
Left in critical
An area man was rushed to the hospital last week after he was struck by a passing car on Third Avenue.
Police said that the victim was nearing Degraw Street at 6 p.m. on December 29 when he was clipped by the grey automobile.
The driver of the auto remained at the scene as the unnamed victim was rushed to Lutheran Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition following treatment.
No charges had been filed against the driver as this paper went to press.
Robbed at knife point
A woman had a knife pressed to her neck last week as she was robbed of her cash, jewelry and a $17,000 engagement ring.
Police were told that the woman was nearing the corner of Cheever Place and Kane Street at noon this past Christmas Eve when the unidentified thief grabbed her from behind.
The thief pulled his knife on her, ripped the chain off her neck and then robbed her of her ring and the $100 in cash she had in her purse.
He then let the woman go and ran off, leaving her without any serious injuries.
Banking on obedience
A note-passing bandit made off with over $6,800 after he paid a visit to the Sovereign Bank at 498 Columbia Street at Lorraine Street.
Workers said that the suspect, described as a six-foot tall dark skinned male wearing a dark hoodie and blue jeans, entered the bank at 11 a.m. on December 24 and handed the teller the note.
The note indicated exactly how much the thief wanted, followed by the phrase, “No tricks.”
The teller put some money together — far less than what he was expecting — and gave it to the man, who ran off.
Cops are asking anyone with information regarding this robbery to come forward.
Calls can be made to the NYPD CrimeStoppers hotline at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
Wipe out graffiti
As the ongoing war against graffiti continues, a $500 reward is being offered to anyone with information regarding graffiti vandals in their neighborhoods.
The hefty reward is part of the city’s ongoing push to rid New York of graffiti vandals.
Graffiti is one of the leading quality of life complaints brought to police.
Anyone with information about graffiti vandalism is urged to contact either 311 or 911.
Lucky to be alive
A 14-year-old Red Hook boy was counting the lucky stars flashing by his eyes last week after he escaped serious injury during a brazen Boxing Day shooting.
The victim said that he was leaving a party on Columbia Street near Huntington Street at 4:45 a.m. on December 26 when he got into an argument with two unidentified males.
The confrontation soon became heated, leading one of the males to pull a gun and open fire.
The bullet grazed the victim, leaving him with a laceration on the left side of his head.
The two suspects, who reportedly did not attend the party that the victim was leaving before the shooting began, ran off.
They were still being sought by authorities as this paper went to press.
Anyone with information regarding their whereabouts is urged to contact authorities at (718) 834-3211. All calls will be kept confidential.
Delivery devils
Cops are investigating two recent robberies involving neighborhood delivery men.
Officials said that a worker for an area Chinese Restaurant was dropping off an order on Van Brunt Street near Visitation Place at 10 p.m. on December 21 when three unidentified thugs approached him.
One of the thieves grabbed him, threw him to the floor and proceeded to beat him while his accomplice rooted through his pockets, taking his cell phone and $40 in cash.
A few days later a group of thieves attacked a 45-year-old man making a delivery on Mill Street near Hicks Street.
The victim told police that he was about to make his drop off at 8:10 p.m. on December 24 when someone struck him in the back of the head with a sharp object.
The suspects knocked the victim off his bike and ran off with his cell phone and food order he was delivering.
Cops said that the victim was rushed to New York Methodist Hospital to be treated for serious injuries to his head and face.
It was unclear if the two incidents were related as this paper went to press.
Left all wet
Thieves broke into the Red Hook offices of the New York Water Taxi, 499 Van Brunt Street, last week, taking over $5,000 worth of computer equipment.
Police from the 76th Precinct said that someone forced open an office window sometime between 8 p.m. on December 27 and 7:30 a.m. the following morning.
The thief then fled out the back door with one laptop computer as well as four personal computers.
The burglars were still at large as this paper went to press.
Not so happy
A happy-go-lucky thief helped himself to a computer and a pricey digital camera during a recent raid on Happy Produce, 29 Imlay Street.
Renovations were reportedly going on at the Red Hook factory at 1:50 p.m. on December 26 when a 5’8”, 200-pound light skinned Hispanic man wearing cowboy boots and a dark blue cap came in and took the electronic equipment.
Witnesses said that they saw the suspect leave the building with the stolen items about an hour later — fleeing the area on a bicycle.
Office ransacked
Workers at Long Island Pipe Supply Inc., 729 Hicks Street, came to work after the Christmas break to discover that the anti-Santa Claus had paid them a visit.
Workers said that they closed their office near Nelson Street at 2:30 p.m. on December 24.
They re-opened just after midnight on December 26 only to fine that someone had forced open the security gate and broken through the front door.
The evil elf that entered ransacked the office, but took nothing, officials were told.
Christmas mystery
Cops are trying to determine what killed a 54-year-old woman found dead on Christmas Day.
Police said that the unnamed woman was found unconscious inside her 10th Street home near Fourth Avenue just after 4 p.m. on December 25.
The woman died at the scene.
Although there were no physical signs of trauma, cops were awaiting the results of an autopsy by the city’s Medical Examiner before investigating further.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact CrimeStoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
Missing girl sought
Cops are looking for a 12-year-old girl who hasn’t been seen by family members for over a month.
Julian Carrozza, 12, was reportedly last seen getting into a dark-colored car — possibly a livery cab — near her grandparents’ home at Vanderbilt Street near Prospect Avenue in Windsor Terrace at 4 p.m. on November 14.
At the time, the young girl was wearing a blue sweater, white pants and blue sneakers.
Worried family members said Julian is 5’8” and 125 pounds.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to come forward.
Calls can be made to the NYPD CrimeStoppers hotline at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
