Unexpected guest
A 55-year-old woman returned to her Quentin Road home last week to find a burglar rooting through her things.
Cops from the 61st Precinct said that the thief entered the apartment near East 19th Street at around 6:30 p.m. January 26 after snapping the lock to a rear kitchen window.
When the woman returned home, she found the thief inside, pocketing $4200 in cash, a $2,000 ring and a $6,000 pair of earrings.
The thief fled the apartment the same way he came in — through the window, police said.
Cops are askinganyone with information regarding this incident to come forward.
Calls can be made to the 61st Precinct at (718) 627-6611. All calls will be kept confidential.
Donut debacle
Three men were arrested after they allegedly robbed a fourth male of his Blackberry at a neighborhood donut shop.
The victim told police that he was enjoying his pastry at the all night eatery on Avenue U near East 15th Street at 3:15 a.m. January 21 when the mask-sporting trio allegedly barreled inside.
One of the thieves pulled a gun and robbed him of his cell phone, officials alleged.
Responding officers arrested the alleged thieves, later identified as 24-year-old Franklin Arias, 25-year-old Robert Orlando and 20-year-old Brian Del-Rosario, after a search of the area. All three were charged with robbery.
National pastime
A 22-year-old Mill Island resident was arrested last week on charges that he attempted — with a baseball bat in hand — to break into two addresses near his home on National Drive, police alleged.
Police alleged that Igor Popov tried to break into a National Drive home near East 66th Street at 3 a.m. on January 29.
Roughly seven hours later, he attempted to break into another National Drive home — this one near East 65th Street, officials alleged.
Both times his alleged attempts were thwarted by the victims, who intervened as he tried to bash his way through a rear door with his baseball bat.
The first victim told police that he heard loud noises. When he went to investigate, he allegedly saw Popov walking away from the location. The lock to the back door was damaged, police said.
A few hours later, a woman in the second home heard her rear screen door open and the sound of breaking glass.
She ran to the door, finding Popov on her property armed with a baseball bat, police alleged.
The woman called police, who rounded up and arrested Popov without incident, charging him with two counts of attempted burglary, criminal trespass and possession of burglar’s tools.
Barred from entry
A 58-year-old woman returned to her East 12th Street home last week to find that someone had chained it from the inside.
It was later determined that a thief who crept in through a kitchen window had chained the door to the apartment between avenues R and S before he swiped several pieces of pricey jewelry.
When the woman finally gained entry to the apartment at 2:30 p.m. on January 30, the thief was gone, officials said.
Home invasion
Three thugs forced their way into an East 57th Street resident’s home, ransacking the place of electronics, jewelry and a cell phone, cops from the 63rd Precinct reported this week.
The victim told police that he was just about to enter his home between avenues H and I at 2:15 a.m. on January 28 when the suspects pulled a gun at him.
The thieves held the victim at bay as they went through his home and ran off with his property.
Cops are asking anyone with information regarding this incident to come forward.
Calls can be made to the 63rd Precinct at (718) 258-4411. All calls will be kept confidential.
Not very delicate
A 30-year-old allegedly caught shoplifting at a Midwood Duane Reade was certainly eating her Wheaties. Not only did she fight off an employee, but reportedly ran through the store’s glass door as it closed on her during her escape, prosecutors were told this week.
The woman, identified as Theresa Radomski, allegedly started flexing her shoplifting muscles inside the store on Avenue J near East 15th Street at 8:48 a.m. on January 29 when an employee allegedly saw her swipe a pair of underwear from a store shelf.
When the employee confronted her, the woman allegedly ran — right through the glass door, causing it to shatter, cops were told.
The employee reportedly caught up with Radomski, only to be kicked in the legs and punched in the face for his trouble, police alleged.
Responding officers charged Radomski with assault in the third degree, criminal mischief and criminal possession of stolen property.
Mixing it up
An argument in a Ralph Avenue department store ended abruptly Friday when a customer allegedly attacked an employee with a cake mixer.
Police said that 41-year-old Jennifer Mingo was taken into custody after she allegedly attacked an employee of the Telco Discount Store between Flatlands and Bergen Avenues at 6:35 p.m. clash on January 29.
While the cake mixer was still in the box, it did some damage, leaving the employee with a bump to the head, officials said.
Mingo was charged with assault in the third degree and criminal possession of a weapon.
It was unclear what sparked the argument as this paper went to press.
Car breaker bust
Midwood cops have arrested two teenage car looters thanks to the eagle eyes of the Shomrim Patrol.
The volunteer watchdogs were credited last week in helping police apprehend Michael Mazurek and Maxim Lempert, both 17, after the teens had allegedly broken into three cars parked near the corner of Quentin Road and East 22nd Street at 3:30 a.m. on January 24.
The patrol members called police, who rounded up the two teens without incident.
Change and other items they allegedly took from the cars were in their pockets, officials allege.
Pocket running
Cops are looking for two thugs who grabbed a 19-year-old by his coat and ordered him to “run his pockets” during a recent altercation.
The victim told police that he was nearing the corner of Avenue L and Utica Avenue at 9 p.m. on January 22 when the unidentified suspects grabbed him.
The thieves ran off with $10, the victim’s cell phone and a music player, officials said.
No injuries were reported.
Jewelry jack
Thieves broke into an East 59th Street home last week, taking an assortment of jewelry.
The 37-year-old victim told police that the thieves entered her home near Avenue K sometime after 8:30 a.m. on January 23.
The woman said she didn’t know her home had been burglarized until she had returned from work.
Screeching to a halt
A 38-year-old motorist was busted on drunk driving charges last week after he — of all things — hit his brakes too hard, police alleged.
Cops from the 63rd Precinct told prosecutors that they saw Andy Cummings driving his 2006 Jeep Cherokee at a high rate of speed down Flatbush Avenue.
When he reached a red light at Avenue S, Cummings abruptly hit his brakes, causing his tires “to screech and smoke to appear,” police alleged.
Believing that something was wrong, a police officer pulled the speed racer over, finding him to be apparently drunk behind the wheel, police alleged.
The cop’s suspicions were confirmed when a Breathalyzer test was administered and Cummings scored a .160 percent — well over the legal limit, police said.
Automobile access
Thieves raided three cars parked in Bergen Beach and Marine Park last week.
Officials said that someone entered a 35-year-old woman’s car as it sat on East 74th Street between Avenues V and W at 2 p.m. on January 22 taking her purse, credit cards and some clothes.
Two days later, on January 24, a thief raided a car in a parking lot on Avenue U near East 33rd Street, taking the victim’s credit cards and ID. The car was unlocked at the time, the victim admitted.
Later that day, a car parked in a driveway on Kimball Street between Fillmore Avenue and Avenue S was broken into. Several pricey electronics and some clothes were removed, police were told.
Busted for fraud
Cops have arrested an area motorist for intentionally crashing his car back two years ago in order to bilk his auto insurance company.
The motorist, who was not named, crashed a car near the corner of Avenue S and East 55th Street during the scam which took place back in July 2008.
The insurance company reportedly sent the motorist a check to repair the damages, but soon realized that something about the crash was suspicious.
Investigators got involved, and found that the accident had been staged, officials alleged.
Close, but no entry
Cops are searching for the thieves who attempted to tunnel their way into Kings Gourmet Food, 1508 Kings Highway.
Workers said that they were in the process of opening the business at 7 a.m. on January 18 when they noticed water leaking from the roof.
When they investigated, they learned that someone had tried to cut their way through. The attempt was thwarted by the roof’s metal frame work, however.
Whoever made the attempt ran off empty handed, leaving the Kings Gourmet Food crew with a busted roof, officials said.
