Around Brooklyn: Cops seek men who broke into cell phone store

June 9, 2020 Editorial Staff

The Coney Island Boardwalk. Photo: Lore Croghan/Brooklyn Eagle

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Cops seek men who broke into cell phone store

Police are trying to find a group of suspects who were caught on camera breaking into a cell phone store in East Flatbush. The episode happened around 2:10 a.m. on May 31 around Church and Nostrand avenues. Surveillance video shows one suspect throwing something at the storefront, then kicking in the glass door. Once inside, the group stole $300, according to CBS News.

Brooklyn luxury RE market on its way back

Last week was the Brooklyn luxury real estate market’s strongest since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, with seven deals going into contract for about $22.5 million, according to the Compass report, which looks at homes in the borough listed at $2 million or more. The most expensive deal last week was for a townhouse at 314 Hicks St. in Brooklyn Heights, which was asking about $6.8 million. The second most expensive was for a townhouse at 200 Berkeley Place in Park Slope asking $4.5 million, according to The Real Deal.

Spike Lee cycles along with protesters

Spike Lee joined hundreds of George Floyd protesters in Brooklyn on Sunday afternoon, saying that he’s “gotta represent.” “Fort Greene, baby! Fort Greene!” he said as he rode with other cyclists in front of a crowd. Lee was seen around 4 p.m. heading down Flatbush Avenue on a single-speed bike decked out in New York Knicks blue and orange and wearing a matching helmet. He kept a relatively low profile throughout the march, the New York Post said.

Subway perv wanted for assaulting two women

Special victims detectives are looking for a man who sexually assaulted two women in the subway in Brooklyn and Manhattan on Saturday. The first episode happened at the 72nd Street station on the 1, 2 and 3 lines. Cops said the suspect blocked the victim, who was trying to enter a train, then dragged her to the end of the platform. She managed to get away. Two hours later, on a Coney Island-bound train approaching the 15th Street stop, he punched a young woman, causing her to fall, and tried to lift her skirt. The suspect is described as a white or Hispanic man in his twenties, according to amNewYork.

Brooklyn Young Democrats endorse Clarke

U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-Brownsville-Crown Heights-East Flatbush-Flatbush-Kensington) has received an endorsement of the Brooklyn Young Democrats in her bid for re-election. “I am honored to receive BYD’s endorsement. The energy and commitment of young Democrats to organizing and getting out the vote will be critical to defeating Donald Trump in November,” Clarke said. Christina Das, president of Brooklyn Young Democrats, said, “Congresswoman Clarke is of and for Brooklyn, and we at BYD look forward to working with her to advocate for progressive legislation.”

Ortiz bill may pass this year

Assistant Assembly Speaker Felix Ortiz’s (D-Sunset Park-Red Hook) proposal was included in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s call for the passage of a package of bills addressing racial injustices in policing. The Ortiz bill, which he introduced back in 2018, would make it a hate crime to falsely report a crime for racial or religious reasons. “We must act in the moment to pass legislation that will begin the process of transparency in the Police Department and hold people accountable,” said Ortiz.

Eight people shot in four incidents

Police are investigating after eight people were short in four separate incidents in Brooklyn on Monday night. Police said three men and a woman were shot after a dispute just before 10:45 p.m. near Bristol and Newport streets in Brownsville. The woman was listed in serious condition, and the three men were listed in stable condition. In Stuyvesant Heights, two men were shot in the legs around the same time. Both were listed in stable condition. In Flatbush, a 35-year-old man was shot in the back and was brought to Kings County Hospital in stable condition. And in Flatlands, a 36-year-old man was shot in the torso around 2 a.m. and brought to Kings County Hospital in stable condition, NY1 News said.

Adams says busway ignores most of Brooklyn

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams on Monday released a statement on the new busway opening on Jay Street, saying that while the Downtown Brooklyn busway is welcome, it ignores several important thoroughfares. “This represents just 0.6 percent of more than 300 miles in Brooklyn’s bus network, and the city’s announced list of emergency bus lane project is just 20 of the 40 miles that I and my colleagues have called for,” he said. He said the MTA should consider a busway on Livingston Street between Court Street and Flatbush Avenue as well as an improved bus lane on Flatbush Avenue between Empire Boulevard and Avenue H.

Felder urges people to shop local

State Sen. Simcha Felder (D-Borough Park-Midwood-Flatbush-Ditmas Park) is urging people to support small businesses by shopping at local stores. “Small businesses are essential to our economy and to every thriving neighborhood. Shop owners are your friends, neighbors and relatives. For months, they have been choking and now they are at the breaking point,” he said. He criticized the city for not allowing browsing in retail stores.

Gounardes congratulates graduating seniors

State Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights-Bensonhurst-Bath Beach-Gravesend) announced plans to honor graduating seniors in southern Brooklyn with a massive community-wide cheer at 6 p.m. on June 12. “My office launched CheerForSeniorYear to show our students how proud we are of everything they’ve accomplished,” he said. He stressed that this is important since many graduation ceremonies have been canceled or modified.

Matches ignite on their own, inside package

A book of matches apparently ignited inside a Sunset Park post office on Monday, triggering a bomb scare, police said. The NYPD’s bomb squad responded to the post office at 900 Third Ave. near 33rd Street. Firefighters evacuated the building because of the “suspicious package” call at around 11:30 a.m. Finally, the squad took a look inside the parcel and found that a box of “strike anywhere” matches somehow sparked, according to Patch. Experts are still trying to figure out how this happened.

Cops tackled and punched bicyclist-protester, video shows

Police tackled, punched and arrested a bicyclist during a Black Lives Matter protest in Brooklyn on Saturday night, video shows. Pierce McCaffrey, 22, says cops tackled and cuffed him after he intentionally slowed down in front of an NYPD van 20 minutes before the 8 p.m. curfew went into effect. “I was going slow and he sirened at me, but I didn’t move,” McCaffrey said. That’s when police chased and tackled him, according to the New York Post.

Brooklyn College athlete featured in magazine

Brooklyn College recent graduate David Melman, a four-year member of the college’s men’s basketball team, was featured in the latest edition of Diverse Issues in Education. Melman, who grew up in Argentina, played informal basketball as a youngster but concentrated on schoolwork. A firm that matches aspiring student-athletes in Argentina with U.S. schools found Brooklyn College. In Melman’s first year with the team, BC won the CUYNAC championship. At the same time, he volunteered for young sports clinics, hospital visits and food service events.

Compiled by Raanan Geberer.