PARK SLOPE — Cops nabbed a career criminal after he allegedly stole a fruitcake and some wine glasses from a Park Slope apartment building, police said.
An officer with the 78th Precinct spotted the alleged burglar repeatedly ringing buzzers at a Prospect Park West apartment building on Feb. 19, according to a police report. The alleged crook entered the building, then left shortly afterward. When police stopped the man, they found he was holding two packages from a sixth-floor apartment.
One of the boxes contained a fruitcake valued at $100, the other held wine glasses valued at $45, according to the police report. The man was also carrying "burglar's tools" — three screwdrivers — the report stated.
Anibal Maldonado, 44, was charged with burglary, possession of burglar's tools, petit larceny, criminal trespassing and possession of stolen property. Maldonado has had more than 35 prior run-ins with the law dating back to at least 1987, according to the Kings County District Attorney's office.
Other notable crimes in this week's blotter at the 78th Precinct included the following, with details provided from police reports:
• A 25-year-old man was robbed at knifepoint by three men at the Union Street and Fourth Avenue subway station on Feb. 21. The man told police the trio stopped him to ask the time as he approached the turnstile. When he pulled out his phone to check the time, one of the crooks whipped out a knife and threatened to cut him. One of the suspects snatched the victim's Samsung Galaxy II phone, while another reached into the victim's pocket and helped himself to $100 in cash.
• A 27-year-old woman had her purse stolen after she left it near her seat while she went to the bathroom during a Marc Anthony concert at the Barclays Center on Feb. 16. The victim lost her Apple iPhone 4S, MetroCard, Citibank debit card, and green card.
• Cops arrested a 51-year-old man who walked out of the Target at 139 Flatbush Ave. carrying 36 stolen watches valued at $1,154 on Feb. 19.
• A 54-year-old man had his wallet stolen from a locker while he was working out on an elliptical machine at the YMCA on Ninth Street and Sixth Avenue on Feb 23. The victim told cops his stolen MasterCard and Citibank debit card were used to buy items at Best Buy, Auto Zone and MetroPCS.
• Two women who attended a Feb. 23 party in Gowanus had their purses stolen. The women, 22 and 31, both said they left their bags behind a bar at the party, at the Gowanus Studio Space on Seventh Street between Second and Third avenues.
