New details about last week’s late-night robbers top this week’s police blotter.

Two back-to-back robberies around 12:30 a.m. on the night of March 28 appear to be linked according to police, with the second victim the BHB reader who sent in an account of his mugging. The perps, one man and two woman, made their first hit on a trio of victims near the corner of Clinton and Joralemon streets. The man approached them from behind and pulled out a gun ordering them to drop to the ground. As they emptied out their pockets, two women appeared and grabbed the collection of purses, wallets, phones and iPods.

Minutes later, the trio approached a man walking his dog at the corner of Sidney and Aitken. The perp pulled out his Glock and told the victim not to let go of his pit bull mix pooch. The woman helped remove the victim’s iPhone and $70.

Another gym robbery occurred at a gym on Fulton Street near Duffield Street. The victim said that she returned to her locker after working out shortly after 4 p.m. on March 22 to find her lock removed and wallet stolen.

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A cat burglar, a cradle robber and a bank robber top this week’s police blotter.

A thug was arrested after breaking into a woman’s third floor apartment by climbing in her window through the fire escape of the building located on Pierrepont Street between Henry and Hicks streets on March 17 around 2:30 p.m. The perp grabbed two laptops and a digital camera before exiting through the apartment’s front door, where the building’s superintendent caught him.

A cradle-robbing perp stole a purse from a stroller and attempted to withdraw $5,000 from the debit card inside, the victim told police. The woman, who resides on Remsen Street between Henry and Hicks streets, said that when she returned home on March 19 her pocketbook had been removed.
A perp broke into a car parked at the corner of Wyckoff and Court streets, stealing three cameras, a laptop and an iPod on March 18 around 10:30 a.m. The owner told police that front driver’s side door had its lock broken.

A 21-year-old woman assaulted two female teens at a bus stop near the corner of Smith and Fulton streets on March 18 around 11:30 p.m. The woman attacked the two victims by hitting them with a full garbage bag and a four-foot-long light bulb before being arrested on the scene by police.

A robber stole $2000 from a bank on Fulton Street near Joralemon street on March 19 around 2:30pm. The perp told the teller that he needed to pay off his home before foreclosure and that he son was in the bank with a gun. The teller handed him $2,000 and he fled the building.

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Most contributions will be matched 2-to-1, but for first time PS 8 parents who are donating, the rate will be 3-to-1. A secretary at the school said that she couldn’t reveal how much had been raised so far. If you’re looking to make a donation, you can do so at the school’s website.

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In short, a CSA works by having all members pay a farmer upfront for a season’s worth of his produce, which will be distributed Tuesday evenings from June to November at Congregation Mt. Sinai at 250 Cadman Plaza West. Participation in the CSA will also require two-hour volunteer shifts to distribute food or work on other administrative tasks.

There will be a meeting tonight at Congregation Mt. Sinai at 7:30 p.m. for those interested in meeting the Farmer Fred from Long Island’s Sang Lee Farms, the partner for the Brooklyn Bridge CSA.

Among the sponsors of the CSA will be the AJWS (American Jewish World Service)-AVODAH partnership and Hazon, two Jewish organizations that support CSAs and will provide other community service opportunities as well as access to information about domestic and international food issues.

For more information, check out the organization’s website.

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It was a tough week for vehicles in Brooklyn Heights, with several thefts and a burglary topping this week’s police blotter.

A car thief took off with a woman’s 1994 Nissan on March 8 between 3 and 8 p.m. The car was parked on State Street between Henry and Clinton streets.

On March 10, a man reported his motorcycle stolen from near the corner of Concord Street and Bridge Plaza.
A thief stole more than $5000 in construction equipment from a van parked near the corner of Bridge and Plymouth streets on March 9. The victim told police when he returned to his van around 1 p.m. he noticed that his van door was open and the lock damaged.

A perp went on a robbing spree at the YMCA on Atlantic Avenue, ransacking two lockers on March 11 around 5 p.m. The first victim said that his watch, valued at $200, and his wallet, which contained $65 and several credit cards, were stolen from his locker.

The second victim said that he left his wallet in his pants’ pocket and secured his locker with a combination lock. After returning from his workout, his pants and wallet, containing just $10, were missing.

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The grant, from the Council on Library and Information Resources, will allow the society to survey, catalog and upload material from the BHS library archives, including photos and some 2,000 maps. The material will be made available online for students and history enthusiasts alike.

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A bank robbery in DUMBO and a series of thefts in an office building top this week’s police blotter.

A perp took off with $400 after holding up the Sovereign Bank on Washington Street in DUMBO on March 4. Just before 12:30 p.m., a man came up to a teller and passed him a note that said “Give me $400 and nobody gets hurt.” Because his register was locked, the teller passed the note to another teller who complied. Along with his cash, the robber demanded his note back before taking off.

There were back-to-back thefts from an office building on Remsen Street between Court and Clinton streets. On March 2, around 2:30 p.m. an employee reported that her pocketbook, containing a cell phone and several gift cards had been stolen from her office.

The next day, an iPod and cell phone were removed from a different office in the building around 2 p.m. Police hadn’t determined whether the incidents were related.

A crook removed a wallet from a gym on Court Street on March 1. The victim told the police that he had placed a locked padlock on the locker, but that it had been removed, along with his wallet that contained $20 around 3:45 p.m.

A thief grabbed a wallet from a pizza joint on Livingston Street near Bond Street on March 1 at 8 p.m. The victim said she left the red wallet on the window counter and when she turned around it was missing, along with the $325 inside.

A 2004 Chevrolet sedan was stolen from the corner of Henry and Pierrepont Street sometime between Feb 25 and March 2, while the owner was away on vacation.

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Two robberies on Plymouth Street top this week’s police blotter.

A fake do-gooder stole a woman’s cell phone after following her off the subway at around 4:30 a.m. on February 26. The woman said the man struck up a conversation with the woman on an A train in Manhattan, offering to help her carry her bags. After they exited at High Street, the perp followed the woman to her home on Plymouth Street near Pearl Street, where he then prevented her from entering her apartment. When the woman tried to call 911, the man grabbed her phone and ran.

A camera-craving crook stole more than $4700 in camera equipment from a man on Plymouth Street between Anchorage Place and Adams Street on February 22 at 10 p.m. The perp approached the man from behind and displayed a knife and said “Dame,” Spanish from “give me.”

A robber broke into an apartment and stole a laptop, digital camera and two cell phones on State Street near Court Street on February 25. The perp entered through the front door and left no signs of forced entry.

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This week’s police blotter features one iPhone robbery and one attempted iPhone robbery that appear to be related.

A gun-toting thief attempted to rob a woman, threatening to shoot her if she didn’t surrender her iPhone near the corner of Remsen and Henry streets on February 19 at 8:30 p.m. The victim safely fled with her phone.

Later that evening, another woman was robbed for her iPhone at gunpoint. The woman was walking on Joralemon Street between Furman Street and Columbia Place at 10 p.m. when the thug came up behind her and threatened to shoot her unless she turned over the phone.

Last week also saw a pair of thefts at the UA Court Street theater. A thug took off with a purse containing $80 that a woman had left at her seat on February 14 just before 6 p.m. And on February 17, two perps bumped into a woman in the packed lobby of the theater, grabbing her phone in the process.

A car was stolen on State Street between Flatbush and Third avenues on February 19 around 10 p.m.

A perp stole a watch valued at nearly $5,000 from a locker at a gym on Court Street. The victim discovered her iPhone, wallet and Chanel watch were stolen around 2 p.m. on February 11.

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More than 100 residents gathered last night for the 100th annual meeting of the Brooklyn Heights Association. The evening broke with tradition by beginning with keynote speaker Michael Van Valkenburg, landscape architect of Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Van Valkenburg spoke for roughly an hour, delivering a detailed tour of the plans and thought process behind the park. He spoke about the origins of the public parks in New York, pointing back to the creation of Central Park as when it became clear “there was a notion and need for park space in New York.”

The completed park will feature about 65 acres of park land, compared to 900-acre Central Park. However, Van Valkenburg explained how the adjacent 800 acres of water in the East River between the park and Manhattan would contribute a vast, enveloping feeling.

“Experientially, it is like Central Park,” he said. “Everyone who has come down to check out the site has said to me ‘This is so much bigger than I thought it would be.'”

Many details of the park were outlined, including that many of the eventual 1,000 benches that will dot the park are from wood that was saved and restored from the piers that the park is replacing.

While discussing tentative expansion plans, Van Valkenburg reminded the crowd that after more than a decade in the planning stages, construction on the park was moving swiftly.

“It took 25 years to build Central Park,” he said. “So we’re moving at lightning speed.”

Following the presentation, the BHA conducted its business quickly. During the treasurer’s report, it was revealed that for the last fiscal year, the BHA collected $187,000, but spent $205,000, resulting in an operating loss of $18,000. Those funds came from the BHA surplus fund, which still hovers around $500,000.

For the group’s centennial celebration, President Tom van den Bout outlined a few of the events planned for the year, including informative walking tours, pub crawls, a stoop sale and a reading of Truman Capote’s work in his house.

Finally, Channel 13 personality Tom Stewart presented the association’s annual awards. Among the honorees were Rebecca Carter, for the restoration of 68 Hicks Street; Trena Keating and David Pitofsky for the restoration of 36 Grace Court; and Peter and Sarah Steinberg for 14 Grace Court Alley. The award for outstanding community service was given to Jonathan Landsman and his team of volunteer gardeners that upkeep the Promenade.

Afterward, BH brahmins gathered for a reception in the church’s arcade to enjoy wine and cheese before heading back out into the pouring rain.

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Attention anyone who’s parked on Willow Place: The MTA has put “All Cars Will Be Towed” signs up and down the block starting 2/18 — which I believe is today. Don’t know hour when towing begins. I will try to take a photo of the signs and email it in. MTA is digging test pits — related to 1/18 explosions– and the northern end of the block is now a capacious pit of dirt and pipes.

The regulations will be in effect for the next 10 days, through Feb. 28.

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The Health Department caught and euthanized the raccoon on February 12 after it had displayed odd behavior by interacting with someone’s dog.

The agency is planning to enhance its raccoon surveillance in Brooklyn, looking for additional animals that appear sick or dead, and determine the full extent of the problem. “Right now, it’s an isolated incident,” Slavinski said, adding that the agency does not yet know if the disease is persistent in the borough’s raccoon population.

The diseased raccoon is the first found in Brooklyn since raccoon rabies, a variant of the rabies virus, first appeared in the city in 1992, the doctor said.

Watch BHB publisher Homer Fink’s brush with a crazy raccoon.

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DUMBONYC photo

Beginning this morning, a new restaurant in DUMBO will be serving up breakfast and lunch right next to the York Street F station. Choice Market, located at 108 Jay Street, opens at 6 a.m. and stays open until lunch before expanding into dinner service in about two weeks. The space features a ceiling decorated by several local DUMBO artists.

DUMBONYC visited the market this morning and offers a full report including the fact that Choice offers Stumptown Coffee!

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A pair of robberies at a department store top this week’s police blotter.

It seems that robbers have been staking out the Macy’s shoe department, with two robberies in two weeks.

On January 27, a robber grabbed a woman’s purse containing $150 in cash, and iPod and a digital camera from the back of a chair as she was trying on a pair of shoes. A week later, a purse containing $25 was taken from a bench in the shoe department on February 6 around 6 p.m.

A subway thief with a knife stole $75 by cutting the side of a woman’s purse on an F train near the Jay Street/Borough Hall station.

A perp stole a briefcase containing a laptop from an unlocked office in a building on Court Street between State and Schermerhorn streets on January 26 around 5 p.m.

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The swank eatery, which earned its first Michelin Star this year, was revealed by the Post this week to only pay $5,536 a month in rent, while the restaurant’s tasting menu is $125 a person.

Owner Michael “Buzzy” O’Keeffe, who also operates Pershing Square and Water Grill, has a lease from the city through 2025. A lawyer for the restaurant said last night that the cabaret license, which allows patrons to dance, was intended to bring a “supper club” ambiance to the restaurant, allowing late diners to dance after the final dinners were served for the night. Although no one showed up to oppose the plan, one board member was concerned that if a family member inherited the restaurant, they might turn the space into a nightclub. The representative joked, “If you want us to stipulate that we won’t play hip hop, we’ll do that.”

The board took him a little too seriously. Just before voting, the committee added a stipulation to the license that the restaurant must “maintain the intent of the license.” Basically, the only dancing happening at the restaurant will be the ballroom kind.

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Angry neighbors showed up to battle over the serving of alcohol in the cafe’s backyard space, which they said was unfit for a residential neighborhood. That fight, however, turned out to be a non-issue tonight when the owners were informed by the Community Board that a separate application would need to be filed to approve the serving of alcohol outside.

Still, the neighbors of the buildings that surround the space said that any venue that serves alcohol, inside or out, would be a nuisance on this block. Representatives from City Council member Steve Levin and Assemblymember Joan Millman’s offices echoed the sentiment, asking the Community Board not to approve the request for a full liquor license.

Before finding out that they would not be able to serve alcohol regardless of tonight’s decision, co-owner Tom Finniean said in his presentation to the Board that the backyard would close nightly at 8 p.m. and the interior space was going to be soundproofed to insure noise doesn’t travel outside.

Finniean said that the still-unnamed venue was going to be a European-style cafe that would serve light fare throughout the day, including pastries in the morning and sandwiches, soups and salads for lunch.

“It’s going to be a comfortable place for neighbors to gather,” he said. The space was not going to be a bar and the focus was not going to be on alcohol. The new cafe will open in about four or five months, he said.

Marian Wood, who spoke on behalf of Steve Levin’s office, said that it was a difficult situation, but that there were too many residences too close to the venue.

“There is not a big need for this space in the neighborhood,” she said, adding there were already 13 venues in the area that sell alcohol.

Later in the evening that argument was disputed by John Harrison, the co-chair of the Health, Environment and Social Services Committee.

“I beg to differ that this a purely residential neighborhood,” he said.

Ultimately, the committee decided that since alcohol would not be served in the backyard space, the liquor license should be approved. Tonight’s vote cleared a major hurdle for the venue. Next, the full Community Board has to approve the proposal before the Community Board presents its decision to the State Liquor Authority, which has ultimate authority to approve or disapprove a license.

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A pair of car thefts and a robbery from a 14-year-old girl top this week’s police blotter.

A perp stole $20 from a 14-year-old girl near the corner of Henry and Remsen streets. The girl was walking north on Henry Street around 10:15 a.m. on January 21, when she heard a male voice from behind her, demanding money. Without turning around, she reached into her pocket and handed him the cash.

A 2007 Volkswagen Jetta was stolen near the corner of Hoyt and Bergen streets on the night of January 16. A few days later, on January 19, a van was stolen from the corner of Plymouth and Jay streets.

Two armed men attacked two workers at a fast food restaurant on Livingston Street, between Bond and Nevins streets, on January 23. Just after 9 a.m., the two men entered and forced one of the employees into a walk-in refrigerator. Meanwhile the other attacker escorted another employee to the safe and pistol-whipped him. The men fled without taking any property.

A perp stole a woman’s purse containing $30 and prescription sunglasses worth $500 from the back of her chair at a restaurant on Court Street between Wyckoff and Warren streets on January 16 at 7:30 p.m.

A crook stole a woman’s backpack near the intersection of Jay and Tillary streets on January 19 at 6 a.m. The woman was walking to work when she was approached by the man who forcibly removed the backpack, injuring the woman’s neck and shoulder in the process and sending her to the hospital.

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BHB tipster Matthew sends us this photo of a SUV that had all four of its tires stolen this morning, near the corner of Poplar and Hicks streets.

Our tipster writes in:

The car was held up by the jack earlier, but then apparently the hoodlums came back for their jack and left the car on blocks.

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BHB contributor Karl Junkersfeld delivers another report, this time on the progress at 73 Pineapple.  The formerly vacant lot has made much progress in the last year, rising more than halfway towards the five-story residential property it will become.

Information is still slim on the proposed lounge next door, on the ground floor of 71 Pineapple Street. The owners of the space will make a presentation supporting their liquor license application at the February 3 meeting of CB2’s Health, Environment and Social Services Committee, which will be held at 6 p.m. on the third floor of Brooklyn Hospital (DeKalb Avenue at St. Felix Street).

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While workers were digging to install gas service to the unoccupied building, they came in contact with an MTA New York City Transit electrical line, sparking electrical fires that caused several manholes in the area to blow sky high.

One house on Joralemon Street temporarily suffered loss of gas service, but the repairs were made last night.

Headline updated for clarification at 3:37pm 1/19/10

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A robbery at a bodega and a subway theft top an otherwise quiet week in this week’s police blotter.

Three perps held up two men and stole two cell phones, an iPod and $260 in cash at a bodega on York Street near Bridge Street. The crooks entered the store just past midnight, carrying guns and demanding the victims empty their wallets. One of the victims was punched in the face during the incident before the men fled on foot.

A perp stole a woman’s debit card after she momentarily left it in a copy machine at a store on (16) Court Street between Montague and Remsen streets on January 7. The perp made more than $750 in charges in the card.
Crooks removed a safe containing $200 from a store on Atlantic Avenue near Bond Street on January 12. There were signs of forced entry on the front door and a flashlight found in the hallway.

Three men were arrested after stealing a cell phone and iPod from an 18-year-old man on an F train on January 11 around 2 p.m. The thugs approached the victim with a knife and scissors and then forced the victim to leave the train at the Bergen Street station.

A sacrilegious thief stole $25 cash from a woman’s wallet during church services at a church on Smith Street between Fulton and Livingston streets on January 10 at 3 p.m.

A 2004 Nissan Maxima was stolen on Joralemon Street between Columbia and Willow places on the afternoon of January 13. The victim said he thinks he accidentally dropped his car keys while bringing in his laundry.

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Earlier this month, Steve Levin began work as the new City Council member for the 33rd District. BHB caught up with Levin to see how he was enjoying his new gig.

How was your first week?
It’s been great. My days have been busy with various constituent groups. We’re facing a lot of progress on a number of issues.

How’s the office? Have you decorated yet?
Just for this month we’re in the former council member Yassky’s office on Court Street, so were keeping the decorations to a minimum.

What’s the first thing you want to get done?
There are a lot of issues rapidly approaching, but what’s important is addressing community issues. We’re working on the traffic issue in Brooklyn Heights. One issue is I see cars circling looking for parking, so we’re working on a residential parking permit program.

Other issues I’m looking to address early on include Brooklyn Bridge Park and keeping the progress going. I’m also involved in the issue of helicopter tours over Brooklyn Heights. We’re looking at ways to limit that.

How available will you be to your constituents?
Well, that has always been a priority for me. The most essential function of a city council member is to serve the needs of the community. For my office, we’re looking at a storefront space [on Atlantic Avenue] where people can come in any time. And, I obviously have a great staff with lots of experience with constituent issues.

Any surprises so far?
I’m pleased with how busy we are. My days have been filled with meetings.

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“Whatever impacts Haiti impacts Brooklyn big time,” he said, citing that Brooklyn has the largest Haitian population in the United States. He encouraged people to open their checkbooks in the coming days.

On the transportation front, the committee chair told the board that there was a discussion about reversing the direction of traffic on Love Lane, which runs in Brooklyn Heights between Henry and Hicks streets. The reason for the potential switch is because trucks are having trouble delivering to the CVS Pharmacy on the corner.

It was announced that Senator Squadron had advocated and secured the continued operation of the B25 bus line, which was threatened to be cut as part of the MTA’s doomsday budget.

District Manager Rob Perris said that later this spring, there would be extensive road work on Flatbush Avenue, between Tillary Street and Hanson Place. This, coupled with planned work on both the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, could make for a traffic nightmare for Heights drivers.

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It was a crime-filled week in the transit system. Additionally, criminals embarked on a cell phone stealing spree in this week’s police blotter.

A pair of subway cell phone robbers hit last week. A perp yanked an iPhone from a woman’s hands as she was playing a game on the phone in an R train at the Court Street station on January 4 around 6 p.m.

A man was arrested after he reached into a woman’s pocket and stole her phone and $300 cash on the A train near the Jay Street/Borough Hall stop just after midnight on January 7.

A crook stole a 46-year-old woman’s iPhone near the corner of Court and Livingston streets around 1:30 p.m. on January 9. The woman said the man ran up and put his hands in her side pants pocket and ran off with the phone.

Two men were arrested after they shoved a woman down a subway staircase to steal her bag on January 10 at 6:30 p.m. The woman was cornered near the Borough Hall subway entrance near the corner Court and Joralemon streets.

A group of five perps surrounded and beat up a 23-year-old man to steal his phone on the corner of Smith and Livingston streets around 1 p.m. on January 7.

A thief went on a spending spree after stealing a debit card from a man’s unlocked locker at the YMCA on Atlantic Avenue near Court Street. The 19-year-old victim said that his cell phone was taken and that after he reported his debit card stolen, he found that the crook had made multiple purchases and taken several cab rides with the card.

A bank robber stole $15,000 cash from the Chase on the corner of DeKalb Avenue and Bond Street on January 9 at 9:20 a.m. The robber approached the teller and passed a note that said “I have a gun, give me money.”

A vespa was stolen overnight and January 3 from Front Street near the corner of Old Fulton Street.

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After one of the safest years on record for the 84th Police Precinct, the year closed with a murder-suicide on New Year’s Eve on Sands Street.

A man shot and killed a 41-year-old woman around 9:30 p.m. before turning the gun on himself. Police said they found the woman in an apartment at 167 Sands Street, near Gold Street.

The victim was slumped over on a bed with a gunshot wound to the left side of her head and a man was found dead on the floor next to the bed with a gunshot wound to the right side of his head. A gun was found under the man’s body. The incident was the second homicide in the 84th precinct in 2009.

A creepy thug robbed a woman on a Manhattan-bound Q train, stealing her diamond and gold necklace on January 3 at 11:45 a.m. The woman said she boarded the train at DeKalb Avenue and the man sat across from her. After becoming uncomfortable, the woman got up and pretended to look at the subway map. The man got up behind her and said, “If you don’t want to be hurt, be quiet.” He removed the necklace and jumped off at the next stop.

A perp stole a wallet from a French tourist who left his coat on the back of his chair in a coffee shop on Court Street around 2 p.m. on Dec. 29. The coat also contained a digital camera and the man’s foreign IDs.

A robber stole more than $4000 in property from the rear seat of a car parked on Bond Street near Atlantic Avenue on December 30. The victim said she left her Louis Vutton purse in the backseat, along with a laptop and digital camera.

A crook struck a man in the face with a glass bottle before taking $140 and the man’s watch on Atlantic Avenue between Nevins Street and Third Avenue on January 1 around 6:30 a.m.

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The new restaurant will be called Bread and Butter, and specialize in American comfort. Dishes will include southern fried chicken, lobster rolls and three different types of macaroni and cheese.

Rob Weiner, who served as chef when Le Petit Marche opened, will return to be chef and co-owner for the new venture, along with co-owner Daniella Silone.

“Le Petit Marche has lived its life,” Weiner said. “I’m totally psyched and hope to recreate the magic.”

Silone said the new restaurant would be more casual. She said they were aiming to open the restaurant this weekend, but that might be “a little optimistic.”

The closing of Le Petit Marche comes shortly after the restaurant was shut down in November by the Department of Health, following three failed inspections.

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BHB contributor Miriam said the postponement was requested by the applicant’s attorney. Thoughts about the proposed lounge can be sent to CB2 at any time and will be considered even if you can’t make the meeting. You can contact CB2 District Manager Robert Perris:

Brooklyn Community Board 2
350 Jay Street, 8th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: 718.596.5410
Fax: 718.852.1461
Email: cb2k@nyc.rr.com

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