It was a bonanza fortnight for burglars, who raided no less than eight homes and one business in Williamsburg, but one crime stood out: a smash-and-grab job at a Varick Avenue auto repair shop.
In the first, and perhaps most spectacular, incident, burglars busted through the concrete wall of a Varick Avenue auto repair shop and walked off with more than $5,000 worth of electronics.
The 62-year-old owner of the shop, which is between Meserole and Randolph streets, told cops that he left at 5:30 pm on Feb. 6. But upon his return at 8 am the next morning, the lights were mysteriously on. Inside, he discovered something even more mysterious: a hole in the rear concrete wall large enough for a man to squeeze through. In addition to an intact wall, the victim lost two computers, worth a combined $4,200, and a flat-screen TV.
Laptop stolen
Burglars stole a $1,200 laptop from a Wythe Avenue apartment on Feb. 6.
The 23-year-old tenant of the unit, which is between Broadway and South Eighth
Street, said the iMac was still there when he left home at 5:30 pm.
But when he returned just an hour later, it was gone.
Electronics stolen
A burglar apparently crept up a fire escape and into a Humboldt Street living room to steal a bundle of electronics on Feb. 6.
The burglary occurred between 4:30 am and 8:05 am in the apartment, which is between Meserole and Scholes streets.
The two victims, a 19-year-old woman and her 18-year-old roommate, lost an iMac laptop, a Dell laptop, a fancy Canon digital camera, a wireless router, a flat-screen TV, about 40 DVDs, and $26.
Use your deadbolt
Someone stole a $4,000 computer from a Union Avenue resident who neglected to use her deadbolt on Feb. 8.
The tenant of the apartment, between Keap Street and Metropolitan Avenue, left home at 8 am for just an hour. But when she returned, her iMac was gone. She said the lock can easily be opened with a credit card.
And since there was no sign of forced entry, someone else apparently knew that, too.
Apartment burg
A burglar made off with nearly $2,000 worth of electronics after raiding a prime Bedford Avenue apartment in early February.
The 50-year-old resident of the apartment, between South Ninth and South 10th streets, told cops that he left home at 6 pm on Feb. 5. By the time he returned — at 9:50 am on Feb. 10 —someone had taken an HP laptop, a Panasonic DVD/VCR player, a Microsoft keyboard and a DSL router.
Another burglary
It was a bust of a Valentine’s Day for one Seigel Street resident, who returned home to find her apartment in disarray and some pricey belongings missing.
The 34-year-old tenant of the apartment, between Manhattan and Graham avenues, told cops that she left the apartment at 8:30 am and returned eight hours later to find her front door lock visibly damaged.
Once inside, she discovered that someone had stolen two iMacs, two hard drives, an Apple Cube desktop, a camcorder, and a pair of speakers.
One more…
Thieves broke into a Grand Street apartment and stole $1,800 worth of electronics.
The tenant of the apartment, which is between Havemeyer Street and Marcy Avenue, left home at 7 pm on Feb. 8. When he returned on Feb. 10 at 9:30 pm, the 25-year-old discovered that someone had taken his camera, cable modem, and an Apple desktop computer.
… and another
Burglars stole into a South Second Street apartment on Feb. 12 and made off with some serious gamer booty.
The tenant told cops that he left the apartment, which is between Berry Street and Bedford Avenue, at noon.
Seven hours later, the 22-year-old discovered that someone had taken his Sony PlayStation system and four games.
And not least
Burglars hit a Hewes Street residence on Feb. 14, making off with thousands of dollars worth of jewelry.
The 52-year-old resident of the apartment, between Marcy and Harrison avenues, came home from a shopping trip to find her front door damaged and her jewelry gone.
She lost a $600 necklace, a $1,000 bracelet, a pair of $4,000 earrings, and $250 in cash.
Home invasion
A young woman awoke on Feb. 10 to find a strange man crouching next to her bed inside her Hope Street apartment.
The frightening incident occurred at 1:30 am, when the 22-year-old resident suddenly awoke.
When the intruder realized he’d been seen, he freaked out and fled the apartment, which is between Roebling and Havemeyer streets.
He did have the wherewithal to take some prime booty with him, including a laptop, $300 and various cards.
Mugger arrested
Safe to say she won’t be his Valentine, though he might find one in jail.
Cops collared a 30-year-old man for mugging a lady on Valentine’s Day, while she was on her way home.
The thug allegedly approached the 48-year-old Boerum Street resident from behind at the corner of Johnson and Manhattan avenues at about 11:45 pm.
“Just let go of the bag,” he demanded.
After he grabbed the purse, which had $80 and various credit cards, he fled north on Manhattan Avenue. Cops arrested him the next day.
Ex con
A guy pick-pocketed his ex-girlfriend while she was making a purchase at a Berry Street bodega on Feb. 3.
The 23-year-old woman was paying for her items in the deli, which is between South Ninth and South 10th streets, at around 12:30 am when her former lover approached her from behind, snatched the wallet from her jacket pocket, and ran away.
Inside the wallet, she had $20 and her house keys.
Hack held-up
Two thugs hailed a car and then held up the driver on Feb. 6 at the southeast corner of Broadway and Marcy Avenue.
The car’s 35-year-old driver stopped for the two men at 12:40 am. After they settled into the back of the car, they demanded his money, punched him in the face, and pointed a silver gun at his neck.
The cabby handed over $180, a cellphone and his New York State driver’s license, and the thugs exited the car and ran away.
Teacher attacked
Cops arrested a 19-year-old boy for beating up a 60-year-old teacher in a Grand Street school on Feb. 6.
The kid allegedly punched the teacher in the face and body on the premises of the high school, between Waterbury Street and Bushwick Avenue, at 11:05 am. The victim, a Sunset Park resident, was taken to Woodhull Hospital with substantial pain in his face, neck and back, and with a swollen jaw.
Meanwhile, cops charged the kid with felony assault.
Gunpoint rob
A middle-aged, gun-toting, bearded bandit robbed a Bedford Avenue check-cashing place on Feb. 14.
Wearing a gray coat, his face covered, he entered the store, between South First and South Second streets, at 8:35 pm, took out a black firearm and demanded money. A 38-year-old woman gave him $50, and then he fled on foot.
Govt cars robbed
Burglars targeted two government vehicles on two consecutive days last week.
In the first instance, thugs broke into a government-owned 2005 Chevy sedan and stole a Gateway computer.
A 45-year-old bureaucrat had parked the car near the corner of Varick Avenue and Harrison Place at 3:30 pm on Feb. 12. When he returned 40 minutes later, the right rear passenger-side window was broken, and the computer and a calling card were missing from the trunk.
The next day, at 1 pm, another bureaucrat discovered that someone had broken the driver’s-side window of his gray Chevrolet van and stolen a hard drive, which contained personal and government information on it, as well as several government files.
He had parked the car 20 minutes earlier near the corner of Debevoise Street and Graham Avenue.
Shot in leg
A stranger shot a Moore Street resident in the leg on Feb. 12, landing the 27-year-old victim in Woodhull Hospital.
The shooting victim, who lives between Graham Avenue and Humboldt Street, told cops that he was shot in the leg at 4:10 pm and managed to get to the hospital without calling EMS.
Bike stolen
A thief stole an Orbit Pista track bike from the hallway of a Division Avenue apartment building last week.
The bike’s owner parked the collectors’ item in the hallway of his building, between Driggs Avenue and Roebling Street, at 11 pm on Feb. 11. The next morning at 8 am, the 28-year-old cyclist noticed it was gone.
It was worth $1,500.
