By Thomas Tracy
NABBED FOR KNIFE ATTACK: A 47-year-old Fort Greene man was taken into custody last week for allegedly stealing electricity, and then attacking a man with a knife. Officials said Jonathan Long was charged with attempted assault, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal trespass and menacing following his arrest on January 5. His victim, the manager in the home currently under renovations next to Long’s Park Avenue home near Clinton Avenue, told police that he discovered that the 47-year-old was stealing his electricity that morning. The victim claimed he found an extension cord leading from one of his sockets to Long’s home. When he confronted Long about it, the suspect allegedly pulled a knife, threatened to hurt him and ran off. Long was apprehended a few blocks away. *** MASKED BANDITS RAID METHADONE CLINIC: Police are widening their net for two men who barged into an area Methadone clinic last week, taking an undisclosed amount of money. Police said that the suspects, their faces covered with handkerchiefs, barged into the Narco Freedom Inc., located on the 100 block of Van Dyke Street, at about 5 a.m. on January 3. Displaying their weapons, the gunmen ordered a handful of people at the clinic to the floor and pistol-whipped a worker. They then ordered the worker to open the safe for them, officials said. Police said that no one was seriously injured during the heist. The two men were described as six-foot-tall black males between 275 and 310 pounds, officials said. One of the men was sporting an afro, officials said. Cops are asking anyone with information regarding this robbery to come forward. Tipsters could receive up to $2,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of either of the two suspects. Calls can be made to either the 76th Precinct at (718) 834-3211 or the NYPD CrimeStoppers hotline at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential. *** NOTE-PASSER NABBED: A 21-year-old area man was arrested last week in an alleged failed attempt to rob the Dime Savings Bank in Sheepshead Bay. Officials alleged that Niven Johnson of the 600 block of Park Place entered the bank at 2:30 p.m. on January 5 with another unapprehended male. Cops from the 61st Precinct allege that Johnson passed a teller a note, claiming to have a gun. “Do not risk lives,” he wrote. “Just comply with my request.” The teller hit a silent alarm, alerting authorities. Johnson was grabbed by an area patrolman responding to the alarm, officials said. Cops charged him with robbery. *** AREA MAN GUNNED DOWN: A cold-blooded gunman killed an area resident in Brownsville last week, according to officials. Police said that 45-year-old Amadou Sawou of the 750 block of Prospect Place, was watching an athletic store at 17 Belmont Avenue for his boss when the gunman entered at 4:30 p.m. on January 3 and fired three shots. Sawou was hit once in the chest. As the gunman ran off, Sawou stumbled out into the street and collapsed. He was taken to Brookdale Hospital where he died of his injuries. As of this writing, cops were still looking for Sawou’s killer. The shootist was described as a black male wearing a black jacket, blue hat and blue jeans. Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is urged to call the NYPD CrimeStoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential. *** CONSTRUCTION SITE RAIDED: Cops are trying to locate the thieves who broke into an Atlantic Avenue construction site last week, taking thousands of dollars in appliances. Officials said that the break-in took place on the site, located on the 160 block of Atlantic Avenue, sometime between 1 p.m. on December 22 and 1:30 p.m. on December 28. There were no signs of forced entry, although construction crews told police that several people had the keys to the site. Ten stoves, seven refrigerators, six dishwashers and five washing machines were taken from the site, said officials. Police are investigating. *** COPS: HELP CLEAN UP GRAFFITI WHILE EARNING SOME GREEN: As the ongoing war against graffiti vandals continues, cops are now offering up to $500 in reward money to anyone who can offer them information that can lead them to anyone who commits graffiti vandalism. The hefty reward is part of the city’s new push to rid New York of graffiti vandals. Graffiti is one of the leading quality of life complaints brought to police. Officials said that cleaning up graffiti is essential to the plan, to show that the community is no longer going to tolerate marred and tagged-up walls and street corners. According to police there is a perception that if a community will tolerate graffiti, they will tolerate other criminal activities, such as drug dealing and prostitution. Anyone with information about graffiti vandalism is urged to contact either 311 or 911. *** MASKED BANDITS RAID METHADONE CLINIC: Armed with a pistol and a shotgun, two men barged into an area Methadone clinic last week, taking an undisclosed amount of money. Police said that the suspects, their faces covered with handkerchiefs, barged into the Narco Freedom Inc., located on the 100 block of Van Dyke Street, at about 5 a.m. on January 3. Displaying their weapons, the gunmen ordered a handful of people at the clinic to the floor and pistol-whipped a worker. They then ordered the worker to open the safe for them, officials said. Police said that no one was seriously injured during the heist. The two men were described as six-foot-tall black males between 275 and 310 pounds, officials said. One of the men was sporting an afro, officials said. Cops are asking anyone with information regarding this robbery to come forward. Tipsters could receive up to $2,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of either of the two suspects. Calls can be made to either the 76th Precinct at (718) 834-3211 or the NYPD CrimeStoppers hotline at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential. ***
