GREENPOINT — A man looking to rob a woman for beer money followed the victim for several blocks before shoving her to the ground, groping her and trying to muffle her screams as she walked home from a G train station last week, police said.
The woman, 24, was heading home near Engert Street and Eckford Avenue on Wednesday, Jan. 21, about 11:40 p.m. when she noticed the man, Pedro Aguilar, 43, following her, police said.
Aguilar had followed her for numerous blocks, and when she turned around to look again, he rushed at her with both hands and pushed her to the ground, causing cuts and pain on her back and sides, police said.
The attacker shoved both of his thumbs into her mouth when she started to scream, police said.
Aguilar then grabbed her upper body and breasts, and pressed his body against hers, according to police and the Brooklyn District Attorney.
The woman screamed for help, and Aguilar ran north on Eckford Avenue toward Nassau Avenue, police said. Her purse remained on the ground next to her, the DA's office said.
Police caught Aguilar at Nassau and Manhattan avenues.
He told officials he targeted the woman because he didn't have money and wanted cash for beer.
"I went on top of her to get money, and she screamed, so I just ran," he told police. "I am sorry for what I did. I never did it before."
Police said he had no previous arrests in New York.
Aguilar has been hit with 10 charges, including attempted robbery, assault and harassment. His bail is set at $25,000.
His attorney did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Other notable incidents in the 94 precinct include:
► A burglar who hit apartments in three buildings for items like electronics, jewelry and a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball card was arrested last week for burglary, police and the DA's office said.
Benjamin Marcial, 43, was arrested Saturday, Jan. 24, after stealing or attempting to steal property from several Greenpoint properties, police said.
On Thursday, Jan. 22, Marcial stole more than $17,000 worth of property from an apartment where the dead bolt was not used on Newel Street near Nassau Avenue between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., police said.
A David Jurman watch, a white-gold, 1.25 carat diamond engagement ring, and three gold bracelets were taken from the apartment, police said.
The same day, about $2,000 worth of property — including a MacBook Air, a Toshiba laptop, cash and a Pittsburg Pirates baseball card — was stolen from an apartment on Norman Avenue near McGuinness Boulevard, police said.
A second apartment on Norman Avenue near McGuinness Boulevard was also targeted on Thursday, Jan. 22, with $2,600 worth of laptops and jewelry stolen from a locked apartment during the day, police said.
Marcial also attempted to steal from a third apartment on Norman Avenue, causing damage to the door frame by rocking the door and turning the knob, police said. But the woman, 81, living there was at home at the time.
He said, "I am sorry" when he saw her and left, police said.
On Friday, Jan. 23, he allegedly broke the front door of an apartment on Freeman Street near Manhattan Avenue between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. and took about $6,300 worth of property, including an iPad, jewelry and cash.
He entered another apartment on the same street during the same time period by entering the rear kitchen window and taking $1,100 worth of property, including jewelry and a Barnes & Noble Nook, police said.
Marcial went into a third apartment on the street that day through the rear kitchen and took $820 worth of jewelry, including a Tiffany's diamond necklace and a Swarovski necklace, police said.
Finally, he entered a fourth apartment on the street that same day through the rear kitchen window, using a chair in the backyard to gain entry, police said. It's unclear if he took any property from that apartment.
He was spotted on video surveillance taking bags of the items out of the apartments, according to the DA's office.
His attorney Renate Lunn said they are conducting their own investigation and are "preparing a vigorous defense." His bail is set at $50,000.
► Four people wearing bandanas robbed a man at gunpoint last week inside his Greenpoint home, police said.
The victim, 36, was at his apartment on Meeker Avenue near Apollo Street on Thursday, Jan. 22 about 2:30 p.m. when the suspects came to his door, police said.
When the man opened the door, the suspects forced themselves in, with one of the bandana-clad thieves flashing a black firearm and shoving the man to his sofa, police said.
Two of the robbers yelled, "Where is the money?" before stealing a PlayStation, an iPhone, a Samsung Tablet and keys to a BMW, totaling about $33,700, police said.
When the suspects got distracted, the man rushed into his bedroom and closed the door, police said.
They tried to enter the room, but were unsucessful and left through the front door, police added.
Neighbors told police they did not hear anything. No one has been arrested for the incident.
