Suspect in Brooklyn Heights stabbing tied to string of violent attacks

Record number of cops promised for nearby Brooklyn Bridge Park this summer

June 21, 2023 Mary Frost

Police surveillance photos of a man alleged to have attacked a resident of Brooklyn Heights in Willowtown on June 13. Photo courtesy of NYPD

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BROOKLYN HEIGHTS — A suspect wanted for robbing and stabbing a man walking along Joralemon Street in Brooklyn Heights has been linked to at least six other violent incidents, all in Manhattan, an NYPD spokesperson said.

Police released on Monday a photo of a man alleged to have attacked a 55-year-old resident of Brooklyn Heights near the intersection of Joralemon Street and Columbia Place on the morning of June 13.

The victim had been walking up the Joralemon Street hill from the vicinity of 360 Furman St. in Brooklyn Bridge Park when the perpetrator approached him from behind and “forcibly removed his bag, wallet [holding $300] and laptop,” police said. When the victim tried to retrieve his property, the suspect stabbed him in the arm and fled southbound on Columbia Place on foot.

Neighbors and witnesses raced to help the bleeding victim after he made his way to a bench in front of the nearby River Deli.

“Some guy had pieces of fabric or a T-shirt or towel, and it seemed like he was making a tourniquet or trying to stop the bleeding,” one witness, who did not want her name used, told the Brooklyn Eagle.

“To be honest with you, I was very shaken up. It just felt so violent,” the witness said.

The block of Joralemon Street in Brooklyn Heights where a man was robbed and stabbed on June 13. Eagle photo by Mary Frost

Asking for the community’s help

“They finally have a good picture of the individual,” Deputy Inspector Adeel Rana, Commanding Officer of the 84th Precinct, told the crowd at a meeting of the 84th Precinct Community Council, held on Tuesday, June 20. Rana asked for the community’s help in apprehending the suspect.

“I think this is more an uptown or Bronx resident, because he used credit cards in those areas,” Rana speculated.

Scott Henderson, Assistant Chief at Patrol Borough Brooklyn North, said that police resources at Brooklyn Bridge Park would be receiving a big boost this summer. Eagle photo by Mary Frost

Record number of cops promised for park

Joralemon Street is one of the main entrances to Brooklyn Bridge Park. It has been the scene of previous incidents involving individuals entering or leaving the park, especially during the summer months.

In April, neighborhood residents demanded that Brooklyn Bridge Park do something to manage large, unruly crowds of young people who gather there during warm weather. April 13 was especially chaotic, with up to a thousand high school-aged kids on spring break overwhelming the ability of Park Enforce Patrol (PEP) to handle the situation.

Deputy Inspector Rana has been working to increase police presence in the park this summer.

84th Precinct Police Officers Dabla (left) and Espinoza patrolled Pier 2 in Brooklyn Bridge Park on Wednesday, June 21. Eagle photo by Mary Frost

On Tuesday at the 84th Precinct Community Council meeting, Scott Henderson, Assistant Chief at Patrol Borough Brooklyn North, announced there would be a record-breaking boost to police resources in the park this summer.

“For the summer, we gave extra resources to Brooklyn Bridge Park. Normally, we place 24 cops there and a couple of supervisors. But I was able to twist some arms Downtown and we got 40 officers assigned to [the Park],” he said to applause from meeting attendees.

“Thanks to the 84th Precinct and Detective Inspector Rana for their support for the Willowtown Community with this increased presence in Brooklyn Bridge Park,” Linda DeRosa, president of the Willowtown Association, told the Eagle on Tuesday.

“We are appreciative of the ongoing support and partnership with the NYPD, especially the work of the officers from the 84th precinct here in the Park,” said Sarah Krauss, spokesperson for Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Deputy Inspector Adeel Rana, Commanding Officer of the 84th Precinct, asked for the community’s help in apprehending the Heights stabbing suspect. Eagle photo by Mary Frost

A long chain of robberies and stabbings

The six known Manhattan incidents involving the same suspect implicated in the Joralemon Street attack include:

– The attempted theft of a watch from a 39-year-old man in front of 437 West 16th St. on May 7. The suspect threatened the victim with a knife during the incident, but the victim was able to flee to safety.

– The stabbing and theft of a cell phone from 24-year-old man at 322 West 57th St. on June 5. The victim sustained lacerations to his right hand and torso and was transported to Mount Sinai West in stable condition.

– The theft of a cell phone and wallet from a 24-year-old man at 249 Grand St. on June 9. The suspect pushed the victim to the ground before demanding his property. However, the victim did not require medical attention.

– The stabbing and theft of a watch worth roughly $550 from a 55-year-old man on June 19 on East 36th Street. The suspect grabbed the victim and pushed him against a wall while stabbing his stomach. The victim was transported to Bellevue in stable condition.

– The theft of a watch and ring, with a combined valued of roughly $15,000, from a 68-year-old man on June 19 in front of 158 East 35th St. The suspect displayed a knife but did not stab the victim.

– The theft of a necklace from a 40-year-old man on June 19 in front of 488 Madison Ave. The perpetrator pressed a knife against the victim’s stomach but the victim was uninjured. (The photos provided by the police come from this incident.)