It was a busy week in crime, plus we’ve got some updates on last week’s big crime stories.
Update: Bank heist
A would-be bank robber tried to steal money from the Citibank on Montague Street on March 20. The incident happened around 4 pm when the man walked in the Pierrepont Street entrance, wrote out a demand note, and walked up to the teller. He said nothing, but only passed the note, which read, “No joke, this is not a game. Large bills only, 20s, 50s and 100.” Cops said the teller rolled back her chair, pressed the alarm, and the man ran out of the bank onto Pierrepont Street, empty handed.
Audi here
There have been at least three car thefts from garages in the last three weeks, and the precinct’s commanding officer, Mark DiPaolo, said it’s probably because perps are now aware of a garage policy for car owners to leave their keys in the ignition. DiPaolo said that car owners should not to leave their keys with the car, despite such rules.
In last week’s incident, the thief was unsuccessful. The perp went to the garage at on Cadman Plaza West near Clark Street on March 19 and, when the attendant’s back was turned, jumped into a brand new Audi sedan. He tried to drive off with it, but plowed into a gate and, when the car stalled, he had to run away on foot. The incident happened at 1 am when the perp jumped into the driver’s seat when the station attendant turned his back.
Another incident happened in the same garage earlier this month, when a perp drove off with a man’s 2006 Porsche. The victim was out of town for three weeks, and when he came back on March 1, he discovered that his car was gone — and with it $2,300 worth of golf clubs and a suit. He told cops that his keys were in the driver’s side visor and he hadn’t locked the car doors.
A third incident happened at a lot further down Cadman Plaza West, near Prospect Street. There, a man parked his car on March 14 at 4 pm, but when he came back the next morning, the vehicle was missing. He told cops he left a key in the ignition and a second key with the parking attendant, but now both keys were missing and his 1989 Mercedes sedan was gone.
Scammer beware
A man who said his name is David King called a Grace Court woman on March 20 just after 4 pm, informing her that she won a $2.5 million random lottery from the utility company. The cash was all hers, the man allegedly said, if only she filled out a money order for $1,900 and mailed it to him. The woman hung up the phone and called the cops.
Snatched
A mugger grabbed a young woman’s purse on March 20 just before midnight as she was walking westbound on Joralemon Street, near Sidney Place. The victim told cops she heard a man walk up behind her, but then suddenly he grabbed her purse and fled southbound on Sidney Place.
Silver-toothed
A perp mugged a man at gunpoint on March 16 after he’d followed his victim from an ATM on Montague Street. The victim had just withdrawn $460 and was walking along Pierrepont Street when he heard a man say, “You dropped something on the ground.” The victim stopped and looked down, but when he stood up the perp was pointing a silver handgun at him. The robber then rifled through the victim’s pockets, pulled out the cash, and raced away toward Cadman Plaza West.
Automatically taken machine
A strong-armed hoodlum jacked an ATM from a storefront on Court Street on March 18 just before 4 am. A witness told cops heard a loud crash and saw the man lifting the machine into a waiting vehicle, and driving off. The man took pictures of the scene, which was between Atlantic Avenue and Pacific Street, and cops are reviewing surveillance footage.
