Group Of Teens Robbed In Carroll Park On Saturday Evening

This past Saturday evening, a group of 15 year old neighborhood boys were sitting at one of the chess tables in Carroll Park shortly after 9 pm, when they were robbed by three slightly older teens.  The incident has been reported to the 76th Precinct, but we would like to make others aware of the incident so that it does not happen to others.

The mother of two of the boys who were robbed sent this description of the incident:
"It happened around 9:20pm - the boys were sitting at the chess tables talking after playing basketball when 3 kids - 2 black  and one light skinned either black or Hispanic, approached asking if they wanted to buy weed.  All three boys were wearing hoodies, the lead guy’s was maroon or red, other two were darker. One kid had a stud earring. 

The boys said they don’t smoke and one of their friends nervously laughed. The kid said they were making fun of him so he was going to make them pay. Said he had a gun in his bag and he wanted 2 phones and their money. Kid took the stuff then said he would kill them if they went to the police, that he was in the bloods and his boys would come after them. The boys drove around with cops looking for them afterwards and the cops found another group of kids these kids harassed but the other group said they chased them away.  "I’m very grateful our guys gave them their stuff and left"! 

When we went to the precinct, we met with a really lovely detective, Detective Francis, who used to do foot patrol in the park and could not believe there is so little police presence there now and that they no longer lock up the park at night.  She said it was more likely a group of punks who saw my guys and friends get nervous and decide to pounce. She said it's always best to walk away but that she doesn’t think they had a gun or were in gangs."

A few of the victims recognized the lead assailant and had played basketball with him in the park. He apparently graduated from 58 a few years before them.

The three robbers were with 2 girls who came by to check on them during the robbery. When one of the assailants said they were robbing the younger kids, the girls walked away and waited. 

Years ago, under former 76th Precinct Commander Cassidy, Carroll Park was closed at around 10 pm.  This cut down on quite a number of incidents, especially in the warmer season. Perhaps it is time to ask the precinct to start closing the gates at night again.

Please let your neighbors and kids know about this incident so that we can all stay alert..and safe.

Read more

Be Careful! Woman Robbed At Knifepoint On Court Street Last Night

 

Even in a safe New York City neighborhood like Carroll Gardens, crime happens. Just last week, the  Court Street branch of Capital One Bank was robbed. Now comes the more disturbing news that a woman was held up at knifepoint last night at 11:30 pm on Court Street at the corner of 4th Place near Mazzone Hardware store. The store's cameras captured the robbery and the 76th Precinct is involved.

The victim, a Carroll Gardens resident, has posted a warning on Facebook to make sure others are vigilant.  She writes:

"Brooklyn Friends, I was robbed at knife point last night at around 11:30 pm in Carroll Gardens.  The police precinct says these attacks are on the rise. Please be careful. "

The attack involved two young males "in their early 20s,"who "came out of nowhere." There was a brief struggle during which the victim pleaded with the attackers to please let her go home to her children.

Thankfully, she escaped the experience unharmed, though she is shaken and scared. "Please be safe and alert. This is a crazy world we are living in. My heart is broken," she writes.

What a terrifying experience to go through.  We join the many friends and neighbors who reached out to her to say that we are happy that she is safe and that we are  so sorry that this happened to her.

Read more

Strange Nighttime Activity In Carroll Gardens Backyard Area Leads To Arrest Of Burglary Suspect

Carroll Gardens has always been one of the safest neighborhoods in New York City, but even so, crimes do occur.  This past week, as a resident reports, a strange incident involving several people jumping fences in the backyard area of 3rd Street between Smith and Hoyt Streets lead to at least one arrest by the 76th Precinct.

The Carroll Gardens resident writes:
Dear Katia:
I wanted to let you know about some strange activity, including the arrest of a person wanted for burglary, over the past week in Carroll Gardens. I wondered if you had heard of any other incidents in the neighborhood? I’ve been here 15 years and have never had people jumping fences in our back yards before…

We live on the south side of 3rd Street between Smith and Hoyt and last Tuesday at 10:30 I awoke to several people running in my backyard and scrambling up to our deck to get to the fire escape and go to the roof. Needless to say it was terrifying to have 5-8 people running in my yard at that hour.

The police arrived and it turns out the suspects had run across other backyards up and down the block. The cops caught and arrested a person who had been wanted for several burglaries. He did not have anything on him at the time. Neighbors report seeing between 5-18 people in my yard, some of whom looked liked teenagers. There are oddities, one person had no shoes and the next morning I found a pair of pants in my yard, size 4 Zara Woman’s.

The cops also said the story given to them by two others who were taken to the station that there was an “airbnb party” at an apt on Smith St. and for some reason (unknown) suddenly everyone dispersed (some sans clothes) through the back. I have no idea how they escaped from the roof or the other yards.

Stranger yet there have been two more reports of people in these backyard areas trespassing at night the past two Saturdays. The Police have been called each time.

I’d love to understand if anyone knows any more information and help get the word out to be safe.

Very strange and frightening occurrence, for sure.  Has anyone experienced similar incidents in the neighborhood? Please let us know.

Read more

Residential Burglaries Slightly Up In The 76th Police Precinct

The 76th Police Precinct sent out a community notice yesterday to alert the community about a recent increase in residential burglaries in the area.  Apparently, Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens are easy targets for burglars (and for tire thieves).

From the local precinct:

The 76th Precinct would like to make you aware that there has been a slight increase in Residential Burglaries recently. However, the good news is that during two separate incidents last week, two perpetrators were arrested for Burglary. One of the perpetrators revealed that he felt that Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill were easy targets, because many residents are known to leave their doors unlocked. 

This bold statement made by a criminal should serve as a reminder to everyone that you must, at the very least, take basic precautions to protect your home and your property by keeping your doors and accessible windows locked.

We recommend that you take advantage of our free Crime Prevention Programs in an effort to prevent becoming a victim. Our Crime Prevention Officer can arrange a home Security Survey with you. This is a physical walk through of your house, or apartment to look for weaknesses and to make security recommendations. Many other programs are available, free of charge, such as; bicycle and electronics registration, VIN Etching for your vehicle and many other programs to help protect you against crime. You can contact the 76th Precinct Crime Prevention Officer, P.O. Bredy, directly at (718) 834-3203, to set up an appointment or to learn about a program that might be right for you.

Please remember to call 911 immediately if you see a person acting in a suspicious manner and suspect that they may be intending to commit a crime. You may save yourself, or someone else from becoming the victim.

Thank you and stay safe!



Read more

Here Is Something We Have Not Seen For A While In Carroll Gardens: Cars On Cinderblocks

(picture credit: Mike)

Now here is something that we have not seen in Carroll Gardens for a number of years: cars on cinderblocks. Apparently, tire theft is making a comeback in the neighborhood.

Local residents Mike sent PMFA the photo above and wrote:

"I'm not sure if this happened anywhere else in the neighborhood, but two cars on Henry Street between Kane and Degraw had their tires stolen at some point overnight. They were up on cinder blocks and all the lug nuts were still next to the cars. Pretty bold considering Henry is a somewhat busy street, even in the wee hours of the morning, and that this was three blocks from a police station."

A neighbor told Mike that a third car on the block also was missing its wheels.
Just recently, one of our friends told us that he had his tires stolen while his car was parked on Carroll Street between Smith and Hoyt.
Have you heard about other incidents in and around Carroll Gardens?

Read more

From PMFA's Mailbox: Legitimate Fundraising Or Casing Carroll Gardens Buildings?

Last week, a PMFA reader reached out to remind everyone that even in a safe neighborhood like Carroll Gardens, burglaries do happen and that it is a good idea to keep once guard up.  The reader's own home had been broken into in the middle of the day, the burglar(s) having gained access through the back window.
Today, another reader had a strange encounter in his own building at Union and Clinton Streets.  He writes:

[I] had a strange incident in our building here on Union and Clinton earlier today.  Found two college-aged girls on the fourth floor of our walk-up, ostensibly soliciting money going from door to door (there are only four units in our brownstone), so, when I came home, I heard them upstairs.  They were looking at personal belongings that were stored upstairs by our neighbor. 

I asked them who they were and what they were doing and how they got in and they said they were raising money, and had been talking to all of neighbors, where one of them had buzzed them in. I was the only one who was home, so I knew that couldn't have been the case... anyway,  I rushed them out of the door, not thinking that I should have insisted on getting their names and the organization they were raising funds for. 

I confirmed that no one else was home, and then I started to remember that there had been a lot of daytime break-ins in our neighborhood of late... so, my question to you - have you heard anyone mention whether some of the break-ins have involved younger people posing as volunteers soliciting money? 

The thought occurred to me that, unlikely as it may seem, perhaps they were casing our building. I don't know. Just thought I'd ask.

The reader followed up his first email with further details. He writes:

*The incident happened at 3 pm on a weekday (today). 

*The two girls were women, i shouldn't have called them girls, but they appeared to be college-aged or a little bit older. they were clean-cut, wearing baseball hats, one had a clipboard - so they looked the part as volunteers. there was nothing else about their appearance that suggested that they were suspicious. ordinary winter coats, they didn't look like drug addicts or homeless or any other kind of vagrants. 

*What tipped me off was that they said they were talking to all of the neighbors, and that one of them had buzzed them in, when i knew that none of my neighbors were home... and then, when i started to ask questions, the two women quickly made their way down the stairs, with me following, asking more questions which they did not answer. 

Again, it's most likely that they were simply two college-aged women who were, in fact, volunteers, and that nothing unusual was happening other than they let themselves in and figured that it was ok to knock on each door - if so, then they were likely a bit confused and maybe concerned that i was obviously displeased with their being in the building and they just wanted to get out... fair enough. 

I'd be curious to know if anyone else has encountered something like this and if it raised any red flags. most people in our neighborhood know not to let yourself into a building unannounced. that's generally not how people engage with each other. even the older catholic women who occasionally solicit door to door know not to let themselves in the buildings.

I am curious curious myself if these two ladies have been ringing doors in the neighborhood and for what cause they are fundraising.  Of course, as the reader says, this most probably is a legitimate fundraising attempt, but then again, we may as well be careful, especially when someone gains access to our buildings without permission.



Read more

Reminder That Even In Carroll Gardens, Burglaries Do Happen

Carroll Gardens is one of the safest neighborhoods in all of New York City. However, that does not mean that crimes do not occur here. Reader B. reached out to me yesterday to alert everyone of a string of burglaries in the area.

Her apartment was burglarized in the middle of the day.  That same day, two more apartments were broken into on the same block. Most probably, the burglars climbed the fire escapes to the roof and gained access the backyard windows.

BJ would like to remind everyone to be vigilant and to not take the relative safety of this neighborhood for granted.  She writes:
I think there is a way our community can help here. First of all, please remind everyone to lock windows. We usually do, but sometimes crack one when it is too warm. In this case, it was closed but not locked and not something I worried too much about given that the window could only be accessed via the roof and then a fire escape -- it faces the gardens between buildings and is on a high floor. Most importantly, if you face backs of buildings and see someone on a rooftop or anything suspicious -- err on the side of calling 911! This seems to be the way this person works and if we all look out our windows and pay attention maybe we can catch this person! Better to make a false call on someone checking out a leak than for others to be burglarized. I know previously I would have dismissed seeing something and assumed it was workers, but no longer!

Good advice, B. Thanks for reminding all of us that we are not immune to crime here in Carroll Gardens.



Read more

Someone Is Stealing A Whole Lot Of Catalytic Converters In Carroll Gardens

I wouldn't know what they look like or where they can be found in an automobile, but apparently,
catalytic converters are worth stealing. I just got word that quite a few car owners in Carroll Gardens
Here is a report from Reader J. who wanted to make sure people in the neighborhood were aware:

"I am writing this morning to report a string of bizarre robberies.
We live on Union and Columbia, and went to move our car this morning for the alternate side of the street parking rules.  Our catalytic converter had been stolen. Very cleanly, it was sliced out. Bummer.
We decided to make a police report in case we wanted to declare this robbery to our insurance company.  The very nice woman at the Union Street Precinct front desk responded "Oh, no. Another one?"  It turns out that many cars discovered on this street sweeping morning that their catalytic converters had also been stolen.  As of 8:15am, they had 6 reports.
I just went to re-park my car, after the street sweeping hours and met 2 other car owners who discovered the same robbery. One of them was on the phone with his mechanic who had 4 cars in for the same problem.  Crazy.
The cops said that people making reports is the only way they could hope to track these if they are sold somewhere and then possibly catch the thieves. At the least it will encourage the police to patrol and know where to focus if people give them their story.
So, I write with the hope that anyone else this may have happened to will be encouraged to file a police report. It seems that there a a lot of people out there today who could help us all with a report."

Good advice. Make sure that you call the police if you see something, or if your converter has been stolen, please file a report.
The 76th Precinct is located at 191 Union Street, Brooklyn.  The telephone number is (718) 834-3211



Read more

Young Woman Attacked On Hoyt Street Near President Street Last Friday Night At 11:30 PM

Yes, Carroll Gardens is one of the safest neighborhoods in the City, but it doesn't mean that one shouldn't be careful.
The attack on a young woman on Hoyt Street right at the corner of President Street last Friday evening at around 11:30 PM shocked residents because of its brazen nature. Though Hoyt Street can be quiet at night, there are still lots of people walking around the neighborhood at that time of the evening.
According to several block residents, this is what happened:
A young woman in her mid-20's was walking back over the Carroll Street Bridge towards Carroll Gardens from Park Slope. She was approached by a man who told her that he had lost his cell phone.  He used this as a conversation starter and as a distraction. He started to follow her, then grabbed her and put her in a chokehold, covered her mouth and forced her to the ground. She managed to free herself and to scream for help. Neighbors and a dog walker immediately came to her help.
The attacker fled towards 3rd Street.  He was described as "hispanic with elbow-length curly hair," wearing a white T-Shirt. 911 was called and officers of the 76th Precinct on Union Street responded.
It would appear that the police may be familiar with the suspect.

Thankfully,  the woman was fine, just badly shaken. She got in a squad car with Police to try and locate the man who had attacked her.

I have reached out to the 76th Precinct and am waiting for a call back.  I will update the post as soon as I have further information.





Read more

Report On Disturbing Attack On Court Street

Over the week-end, I got two disturbing emails in my inbox. The first one is from Reader J. who wrote to let me know that she and her friend were attached on Court Street today. She writes:

On Court Street, Saturday at around 3:30 PM, in front of Papel (Warren & Court) a teenager attacked three people (one of them, a friend of mine whose nose was broken in the melee), for no apparent reason. He got into an altercation with a man on a bicycle and this some how escalated into him attacking a man standing in the doorway of Papel and then rushing at me when I screamed that I was calling the police. Long story short, he got away down Warren Street towards Smith
If your readers have any more information about him or his whereabouts, we'd appreciate it. We'd like to press charges. He was probably 15-16 years old, 5'6"(ish), slim build, with dark curly shoulder length hair, possibly Latino, dark/navy backpack, blue jeans, sneakers, black baseball hat.
Also, just in case--the man who was attacked in Papel was apparently picking out his wedding invitations with his bride-to-be, if you post this and they see this I wish them the best of luck and I hope they have a very happy wedding! At least it will be memorable...

The police were called and a report was filed.  If anyone witnessed the incident or saw the attacher on either Court or Smith Street, please contact the 76th Precinct (718 834 3211.) You can also send me an email at pardonmeinbrooklyn at gmail dot com and I will forward it to J.

The second incident happened on Friday afternoon at 4:30 Pm. Luckily, no one got hurt in this particular one, but it is notable for the lack of response and 'no show" from the 76th Precinct even after two calls to 911.
This is how Reader M described what happened:

A. and I were on Court Street, Friday 4th May 2012 around 4:30pm, when a mob of school kids 12 to 14 years old, rushed pass us and tossed a knapsack by the doorway of 396 Court. Presuming that the backpack had been stolen, A. and I tried to be good samaritans and called the 76th precinct only to get a recording. We then called 911 and were told a car will be there.
20 minutes later we saw a police car come down Court and A. waved them down. They stopped at the far corner down the street and Anna walked over and told them about the bag. They told her they were responding to another call and a different car will be coming soon. Another 15 minutes, not a single police car came.As our backs were turned, another group of kids came by. One young man proceeds to take the bag. When we tried to stop him and told him we had called the police, his entourage threateningly gestured at us to stop bothering them. They then ran off through the park down toward Smith. Totally shocked, we called 911 again and waited and waited and waited.
Anna G and I left the scene after waiting another 20 minutes. I went home to call the 76th Precinct to report the incident only to get a recording. I tried to connect with the Community Affair rep only to hear five rings and then disconnected....no operator...no one!Around 6:05pm, I got a call from what sounded like a bored and intimidating female officer, only to get disconnected when I started asking why it took so long to respond. Is this how our police force should act? Are we really safe?

Granted, this was not an emergency, but this should have prompted some kind of response from our precinct. After all, New Yorkers are reminded regularly about reporting unattended bags. 

It does seem rather astonishing that it was impossible to connect to anyone at the 76th Precinct on a Friday afternoon.

Read more

Just In: Reported Robbery Attempt At Smith Street Laundromat

Just received a report that there was an attempted robbery at Super Laundromat on Smith, between Carroll and Second Street.  The incident occurred at about 7 Pm.  Apparently, the robber tried to choke one of the women who work at the place.  Officers from the 76th Precinct are there right now interviewing her and her co-worker.  
No word yet if any arrests were made. 


*Thanks J. for alerting us to the incident.

Read more

Concern Over Increase In Robberies In Carroll Gardens

According to Captain Lewis of the 76th Precinct, which covers South Brooklyn, there has been an uptick in the crime statistics for the area lately. Robberies in particular are up 40%. At last night's Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association monthly meeting, Captain Lewis called them "impulse crimes" mostly involving the theft of electronic devices such as I pods and I phones. Apparently, many of the the robberies are clustered in 4-5 block areas and have been committed by a specific group of young men between the ages of 14 to 17. Captain Lewis assured the community that the precinct is 'throwing all our resources at this." Several arrests have been made.

One local resident reached out to me in the email below to express her concern about a particular incident that happened on Degraw Street on Tuesday afternoon. She writes:

I live on Degraw between Court and Smith. Last night, around 1:00 am, the fourth floor tenant in my building witnessed (from his window) a neighbor across the street being harassed and mugged by a group of six young men. The tenant called the police, but they took approximately 7 minutes to show up, by which point the young men has sauntered away with the wallet and thrown a trash can at the head of the man who was robbed. Today, I have spoken with many neighbors on the block who are concerned about what seems to be a rise in crime lately. I just learned that both a building next door and one across the street have been robbed this past year. In my building, we have contacted the police about setting up a meeting with the community affairs officer. I wonder if other residents might be interested in participating, and I thought that perhaps writing to you would be a good place to start.

We are all still quite shaken about what happened last night. I love this neighborhood; even though I have only been living here for four years, I am the fourth generation in my family to live in Carroll Gardens, so I am very committed to its safety and prosperity.

The 76th Precinct is holding its monthly community meeting on Tuesday, September 13th at 7:30 PM at the precinct house at 191 Union Street . This is the perfect place to bring up these concerns and to get first hand information from the police.And as always, if you see anything suspicious or witness an incident, please call 911 immediately.

Read more

Everyone Slightly On Edge After Young Woman's Sexual Assault In Gowanus Area

From Park Slope, to Gowanus and to Caroll Gardens, the one subject on everyone's mind over the week-end was the sexual assault of a young woman in the Gowanus area. The attack on the 22-year-old happened at 9 AM on Friday in a bakery where she works.

On Third Avenue, between Carroll and President Streets, a group of local residents were standing in front of a social club, discussing the matter, while two police women taped "Reward" posters on street lights.

"What a shame" one of the residents said.

°°°°°°°

Read more

Neighborhood News: Beating Of Young Man In Carroll Cardens Investigated As Possible Hate Crime

Hate Has No Place In Carroll Gardens!

By now, you have probably heard about the vicious beating of a 22-year old man by five thugs on Luquer Street, close to Hamilton Avenue.

The police is investigating this incident as a hate crime, since the 5 cowardly attackers were shouting anti-gay slurs.

I cannot tell you how sickened I am by this incident. As members of this community, we should stand up firmly against such hate in our neighborhood.

Here is a statement from the 76th Precinct:

As many of you are probably aware from media reports, on Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at approximately 12:50 am police responded to Luquer Street and Hamilton Avenue to investigate an assault. Upon arrival officers discovered a male who had been assaulted by five males while they were uttering anti-gay slurs to him. The victim suffered lacerations to the back of the head and bruises to the face. The victim was treated at a hospital for his injuries. This case is being investigated by NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force as a Hate Crime at this time. Unfortunately, we do not have a good description of the attackers to distribute at this time, but believe that the perpetrators may live in or frequent the area where the crime occurred.

We are urging anyone who may have information regarding this crime to call the 76th Precinct Detective Squad at 718-834-3221 or, you can report it anonymously by either calling 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), texting "TIP577" plus your message to "CRIMES" (274637), or via the internet at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com . All calls will be strictly confidential.

And below is a statement just released by Borough President Marty Markowitz:

“Our hearts go out to this victim. There is something especially disgusting about crimes motivated by hate—whether it be on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. In Brooklyn our diversity is our strength, and when one of us is attacked, we are all attacked. I am confident the NYPD will find the bigot thugs who did this—and make no mistake, they will find them—and we must make sure they and anybody else who would contemplate such a crime gets the message loud and clear: intolerance will not be tolerated!”

For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking

Read more