By Thomas Tracy
THREE BANK ROBBERIES PINNED TO ONE MAN: Police believe that one man is responsible for at least three bank robberies that took place on Avenue U and on nearby Pennsylvania Avenue in East New York. The note-passing bank robber, described as a white male between 40 and 50 years old, between 5’7” and 5’10” tall and 190 to 210 pounds, reportedly hit two locations, the HSBC Bank at 1330 Pennsylvania Avenue and the North Fork Bank and the North Fork Bank at 1618 Avenue U, on the morning of January 17. Cops later connected him to a robbery at the Commerce Bank at 1602 Avenue U on January In each case, he handed the teller a note that read, “Don’t be stupid. Give me money.” The suspect threatened to become violent if she didn’t hand over the money in the till. While it was unclear how much was taken from the HSBC Bank, officials said that the suspect took $1900 from the North Fork bank and $2,300 from the robbery earlier in the month. During the North Fork bank robbery, the suspect was seen stuffing the bills in his pockets before running off. In one of the robberies, the suspect was wearing a black knife hat, grey hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, black jacket, sneakers and black gloves. Cops are asking anyone with information regarding this man’s whereabouts to call (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential. *** FIRE RIPS THROUGH SYNAGOGUE: Fire Marshals are trying to determine what started a small fire that broke out inside the Ohave Torah synagogue at 1669 East 19th Street near Quentin Road last week. No injuries were reported during the 10:30 a.m. blaze on January 21. It’s believed that the fire was sparked inside the synagogue part of the brick one family home. While it is unclear what started the fire as of press time, police from the 61st Precinct do not believe that the incident is a bias crime. Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to call (800) FIRE-TIP. All calls will be kept confidential. *** ROAD RAGE ON OCEAN PARKWAY: A 46-year-old motorcyclist was arrested last week following a road rage incident on Ocean Parkway near Avenue P. Police said that John Hertel of the 2300 block of Knapp Street was riding his motorcycle near the corner when he allegedly got into an argument with another motorist, who was in a car. Hertel claimed that the motorist, 44, was driving too close to him on the parkway. When the two stopped at a light on Avenue P, they confronted each other. Once his victim got out of his car, Hertel punched him in the left shoulder, officials allege. The victim doubled back, complaining of an injury, police said. As the victim was removed to Coney Island Hospital for treatment, responding officers charged Hertel with assault. *** MINI MART RAIDED: A gun-toting hooligan is being sought for robbing the P & P Mini Mart at 1201 Avenue U last week. Workers said that the unidentified suspect had just entered the store at 3 a.m. on January 17 when he pulled a gun and demanded the money from the register. Holding an employee at bay, the suspect went around the counter, removed roughly $500 from the counter and ran off. No injuries were reported. *** EMT TEACHER MUGGED: A woman who organizes a neighborhood EMT class was mugged of the tuition she had collected last week as she left an address on the 1200 block of Avenue T. The woman, a 23-year-old from Avenue N, told police that she was exiting the building at 12:20 p.m. on January 17 when two males grabbed her. The two men reportedly covered her face and ripped her pocketbook away from her before running off. Police were told that $14,000 in tuition taken from the EMT class was in the bag when it was taken from her. It was unclear at press time if the woman was robbed in front of the place where the classes are held. Cops are asking anyone with information regarding this incident to call the 61st Precinct at (718) 627-6611. All calls will be kept confidential. *** CARS VANDALIZED: Police responded to a pair of vandalism reports last week where miscreants smashed the windshields of two vehicles down the block from each other on East 14th Street. Police said that a 1999 Hyundai had its windshield smashed in as it stood in front of 1817 East 14th Street sometime between 7:30 p.m. on January 19 and 7:30 a.m. the following morning. Cops were then told that vandals attacked a 1997 Ford Taurus parked in front of 1840 East 14th Street – just down the street, sometime between 4:15 p.m. on January 19 and 5:40 a.m. the next morning. It, too, had a damaged windshield, officials said. Police are investigating. *** EAGER FOR ESCALADES: Two Cadillac Escalades were collected during a neighborhood sweep by car thieves on Avenue R last week, officials from the 61st Precinct said. Officials said that both luxury sports utility vehicles were taken right from their owners’ driveways on the 2900 and 2950 block of Avenue R respectively on the night of January 20. Cops were told that the first car, a 2005 Escalade was taken sometime between 10 p.m. that Friday and 6 a.m. the following morning. The other vehicle, a 2004 model, was last seen standing proudly in its driveway at 11:30 a.m. Friday. At 10 a.m. the following morning, the victim, 48, reported it missing. Police are investigating. *** MAN KILLED ON UTICA: Police are continuing their search for the man who shot and killed a 24-year-old Queens resident on Utica Avenue earlier this month. Officials said that the victim, identified as Gavin Morris of 228th Street, was arguing with another man at 3:45 a.m. on January 8 when the suspect pulled a gun and shot him in the chest. Morris was rushed to Kings County Hospital where he died of his injuries a short time later. Cops are asking anyone with information regarding this incident to come forward. Tipsters, police said, could receive up to $2,000 for information leading to the arrest and indictment of those responsible. Calls can be made to either the 63rd Precinct at (718) 258-4411 or the NYPD CrimeStoppers hotline at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential. *** ATTACK OF THE MOLE MEN: An ambitious group of thieves are being sought for burrowing a hole into a local automotive store, helping themselves to an assortment of car speakers, CD and DVD players, radios and GPS systems, officials said. Workers at Bay Ridge Auto Trend, located at 654 65th Street, were called to the store on the night of January 21 after their alarm company informed them that the motion alarm inside the store had been triggered. When the employees arrived, they found a large hole dug through the back wall. Their supply of speakers and other electronics were gone, officials said. Cops are asking anyone with information regarding this incident to call the 68th Precinct at (718) 439-4211. All calls will be kept confidential. *** ROBBED OF WALLET: Police are investigating a wallet snatching on Dahlgreen Place. A woman told police last week that she was walking past 77 Dahlgreen Place at 8:45 a.m. on January 22 when a fleet-footed fiend snatched the wallet from her hands and ran to an awaiting car. The woman, police said, was not harmed. She was unable to get a good description of the mugger. Police said that there was about $120 and seven credit cards in the wallet when it was taken. Cops are asking anyone with information regarding this incident to call the 68th Precinct at (718) 439-4211. All calls will be kept confidential. *** AIRBAGS TAKEN: Thieves broke into a 2001 Nissan Pathfinder parked on the 1100 block of 79th Street last week, taking the driver’s and passenger’s side air bags, officials said. Police said that the vehicle was parked on the block at 6 p.m. on January 18. When the owner returned at 7:40 p.m. the following day, she discovered that the back passenger side window was broken. Whoever broke the window wiggled inside to pop the doors and then removed the air bags, which cost over $1,000 apiece, officials said. Police are investigating. *** RETURNS HOME TO FIND DOOR KICKED IN: A 5th Avenue man returned to his apartment near 71st Street Wednesday to find that thieves had kicked in his door, police from the 68th Precinct said. The victim said that he left his building at 2:45 a.m. on January 18. When he returned the following morning around 11, the damage had already been done. The only thing missing, however, was some miscellaneous tools, police said. Cops are investigating. *** JEWELRY TAKEN FROM HOME: A 39-year-old woman told police that someone broke into her 65th Street home last week, taking $500 and an assortment of jewelry. Police estimate that the thief entered by cutting a screen to a back window sometime after 2 p.m. on January 14. The thief took the items, ran out the back door and hopped a fence, heading for the train lines nearby, officials said. Cops are investigating. *** SHOOTING INVESTIGATED: Police are widening their net for the person responsible for shooting a 27-year-old man in nearby Sunset Park. Police said that Kenny Wong, 27, was found lying in the street in front of 733 53rd Street, bleeding from a chest wound. The shooting, police believe, took place sometime before 9:30 p.m. on January 9. Wong was taken to Lutheran Medical Center where he finally succumbed to his injuries on January 12. Cops are asking anyone with information regarding this shooting to call the 72nd Precinct at (718) 965-6311 or the NYPD CrimeStoppers hotline at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential. *** 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. ***
