CROWN HEIGHTS — A knife-wielding 23-year-old man was arrested this week for assaulting and robbing two men within a half hour of each other on Eastern Parkway, police said.
The man and a second suspect, who's still at large, first approached a 21-year-old man near the parkway and Albany Avenue in Crown Heights around 12:20 a.m. on Aug. 15, police said. The pair grabbed his arm, threatened him with knives and demanded his property.
The pair left empty-handed moments later, however, when a car approached the would-be mugging and the suspects fled on foot.
Twenty-five minutes later, the pair struck again, pulling knives on a 26-year-old man walking on Eastern Parkway and Troy Avenue. The suspects punched the victim, pushed him to the ground, broke his glasses and took his cell phone and book bag.
Police caught up with one of the suspects shortly after the second incident, but have not yet apprehended the second suspect.
Other notable crimes in this week’s blotter from the 71st Precinct in Crown Heights, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens and East Flatbush include:
The map above depicts only those blotter items compiled by DNAinfo New York within the date range indicated, not all crimes that took place in a given precinct. To see all previous crime blotters from this precinct, click here.
► A man and woman walking on Nostrand Avenue fled two would-be muggers after the man pushed one of the gun-wielding thieves away. The incident took place at about 8:55 p.m. on Aug. 12 in front of 1232 Nostrand Ave. near Winthrop Street as the 39-year-old man and 43-year-old woman were talking on the sidewalk. Two male suspects approached them, one pointed a silver and black handgun at them and demanded “empty your pockets.” The 39-year-old man then pushed the gun-toting suspect away and both victims ran north on Nostrand Avenue. The suspects both fled as well, in the opposite direction. No one was injured in the attempted robbery, police said.
► A 16-year-old boy carrying a flare gun was arrested for trying to steal from a discount clothing store on Utica Avenue. A worker at the shop at 418 Utica Ave. near Montgomery Street saw the boy take items from a shelf in the store, then confronted him and got the property back. The 16-year-old fled the store, but was arrested a short time later by police. At the time of his arrest, he was found to be carrying an illegal flare gun.
► A 28-year-old man was threatened with a gun by a man who had hit his car, then stolen his wallet when the victim confronted him. The altercation took place around 3:40 a.m. outside of 1750 Bedford Ave. near Sullivan Place, police said. The victim said he got into an argument with the suspect when he hit his car. When the 28-year-old got out of the vehicle to inspect the damage, the suspect then opened his driver’s side door, grabbed the victim’s wallet out of his car and drove away. When the victim followed the suspect to take a picture of his plate, the suspect pointed a black firearm at him from inside the car and drove away. The victim lost multiple credit cards, his driver’s license and Social Security and green cards in the stolen wallet.
► A 26-year-old man was arrested after police executed a search warrant on his Midwood Street home on August 16, recovering three guns, 14 rounds of ammunition and several forged credit cards. The .38 Smith and Wesson revolver, .25 Valor handgun and .40 Hi-Point handgun were all recovered by police.
