BROOKLYN — A thief stole more than $13,000 in watches and cash from a Brooklyn Heights apartment, police say — as reports of burglaries continue to climb in the area.
The burglary happened at 51 Remsen St. some time between 6 a.m. on Feb. 21 and 11:15 p.m. on Feb. 23 when the tenant was out of town, a police report said.
When the victim returned to his apartment, he noticed he was missing $300 in cash, a $7,000 Rolex watch, a $5,000 Tudor Heritage Advisor watch, a $1,300 Sothis Moonphase watch, a $200 MacBook Pro and $300 in cash as well as his passport and social security card, police said.
The burglary happened while work was being done on the apartment, police added.
Burglaries have been one the rise in the 84th Precinct — which covers Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill, Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO and Vinegar Hill — since December of last year, according to NYPD data.
There were 15 reported burglaries in February, nearly four times the amount reported during the same time period last year, when there were only four, according to the NYPD's CompStat database.
There have been 32 reported burglaries so far in 2017, compared to just 12 during same time period last year, data showed.
The NYPD and the Brooklyn Heights Association have been warning residents to take simple measures like locking their doors and windows to secure their homes against thieves.
Other notable crimes from the 84th Precinct include:
► A man entered a loading dock near the AVA DoBro building at 100 Willoughby St. around 10:28 a.m. on Feb. 17 and stole a $20,000 electric lift, police said. A manager at AVA DoBro was not immediately available to comment.
► A man left the Aldo shoe store at 466 Fulton St. without paying for a $125 pair of sneakers around 10:55 a.m. on Feb. 23, police said. When the store’s manager followed the man out of the shop to stop him, the suspect pulled out a knife and threatened her. A manager at the store declined to comment.
► A teenager attacked and robbed a man near Hicks and Old Fulton streets around 7:20 p.m. on Feb. 24, police said. The teen punched the man in the face multiple times, causing him to fall to the ground, before stealing $10 from the victim’s pocket. The suspect also broke the victim's cellphone and took his baseball hat, police said. The victim suffered multiple injuries to his left eye, mouth, hand and right knee.
