A Mugging On Green Street?

February 8, 2011 by
Filed under: 11222, Criminal Activity, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic 

Although I have reached out to the person who was the victim of this crime (so as to get more details from him) I will share what facts I have now. On February 7, at ~4:00 a.m. someone was mugged on the stoop of 159 Green Street. As it was told to me he was locked out of his building and sought out a friend who resides in the building in question. When he approached the stoop, there was a rather large, heavy set African American gentleman sitting there. He asked the victim for money so he could buy drugs. He refused to give the man money, so it was physically taken from him. I have been told a police report has been filed and will hopefully get more information about what happened later today. I will pass it along here. In the meantime, dear readers, please exercise caution when you are out and about in our neighborhood. Especially late at night.

UPDATE, February 9, 2011 12:05 a.m.: Here’s what happened:

…He was waiting at the doorstep when he was approached by said wide-set African American man. The man told X that he just got out of jail after 10 years, and asked him to feel his shoulder muscle. Weird, yes. He then got in his face asking for money, and X, knowing that he had less than $20 in his wallet & wanting to get out of the situation ASAP, obliged to give him his cash. The man then informed him that he was going to use the money to buy crack.

So there have you.

Miss Heather

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Comments

12 Comments on A Mugging On Green Street?

  1. KAA on Tue, 8th Feb 2011 11:32 am

    2. Let me guess ….. The perp is resident of the beautiful Greenpoint Hotel ? ( 1109 Manhattan Ave )

    Did you know that the hotel is the home of at least 3 of our 13 local sex offenders ? http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us/SomsSUBDirectory/search_index.jsp?offenderSubmit=true&LastName=&County=&Zip=11222&Submit=Search

    I am loathe to implicate the victim – sometimes shit happens and things are unavoidable – like having to work a late shift etc – but I found the following to be a good rule of thumb. It’s called the 4 Stupids and it’s very simple: Stay away from Stupid People doing Stupid Things in Stupid Places at Stupid Times.

    So for example, being out at 3 or 4 in the morning, drunk, in a dodgy location – INVITES trouble.

    I’m not suggesting that this poor chap, the victim, was violating any of these – only he can answer that – but it’s a simple rule that’s always good to have in the back of one’s mind

    We are blessed to live in a very safe place comparatively – this is hardly Nuevo Laredo or Cali, Colombia – but there are evil people and some of them live in Greenpoint.

  2. missheather on Tue, 8th Feb 2011 2:54 pm

    3. I wouldn’t rule it out, in any case. You sort of have to applaud this guy for being upfront about what he wanted money for. The mugging part, not so much.

    I personally find this incident particularly alarming given the location of this incident is a highly trafficked area and sports a 24 hour laundromat.

  3. jruth on Tue, 8th Feb 2011 3:25 pm

    4. @KAA: victim is actually my boyfriend, and he had no choice but to be outside at 4am. Was returning home very late from a ski trip (sober!) & had forgotten his keys.

    Understood that it’s New York City & never 100% safe to be outside at 4am, but sometimes these circumstances arise. One would hope that they could wait outside for a few minutes before being accosted by a man wanting to buy crack in the basement of Apollo Express. Just saying.

  4. missheather on Tue, 8th Feb 2011 3:30 pm

    5. @jruth: I would strongly suggest your boyfriend go to the next 94th Precinct Community Council meeting and raise holy hell about this.

  5. missheather on Tue, 8th Feb 2011 3:33 pm

    6. Here’s the date, time and location of the next 94th Community Council meeting:

    February 21st at 7:30 p.m.; the basement of the Peter J. McGuinness Seniors Center (715 Leonard Street)

  6. kat on Tue, 8th Feb 2011 11:11 pm

    7. KAA-
    First of all, the area that this happened is VERY far from a “dodgy location”. Secondly many of us are out until 3 or 4 am, some because we are bartending, some because we are having drinks with our friends, and other misc. reasons. I don’t think that I should let fear take charge to such a degree that I change my lifestyle- especially in a neighborhood as safe as this one. I am always very cautious of my surroundings and don’t walk home late at night/early morning by myself but I sure as hell ain’t going to stay cooped up at home because ‘I might get mugged/raped/shot/etc’.
    Also, it doesn’t appear that the victim of this crime was hanging out with the mugger (in reference to your rule- stay away from stupid people).

    -Kat

  7. KAA on Tue, 8th Feb 2011 11:22 pm

    8. Well, jruth, I pray your boyfriend gave the police an accurate description. Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that they will go to the effort of creating a ‘sketch’ etc for this type of crime. But if they should, I hope that you will obtain a copy and submit it to missheather for publication.

    There is no doubt in my mind that the perp will continue to commit these types of crimes. The question is: Was he a local or just passing through ?

    Missheather – I find your comment about the perps directness to be quite odd. Would you ‘applaud’ him if he said ” I am a violent sexual offender and I am feeling really horny right now ‘ ….. as he was beginning to rape you ?

    This shit is serious and I am just thankful that it wasn’t a young woman who had engaged the perp on the stoop.

    OK, Rant off

    I’m sorry for being pedantic.

  8. missheather on Tue, 8th Feb 2011 11:28 pm

    9. @KAA: methinks the most important thing here is the person who was mugged is okay.

    Otherwise, let’s face facts: when people panhandle for money here (and they do) we know they are most certainly NOT going to use it for food. The shenanigans at this intersection have gotten ridiculous. The fact someone would come out and ask “Can I have money so I can buy some crack?” only drives this point home.

  9. missheather on Tue, 8th Feb 2011 11:33 pm

    10. There are a number of folks in this part of the neighborhood who work second and third shift as well.

  10. KAA on Wed, 9th Feb 2011 1:18 am

    11. Hi kat

    Please re read my post carefully.

    I did not say that anybody who works until 4 AM is asking for trouble. Nor did I suggest that Green Street is a dodgy place ( although this event might suggest it ? ) I merely provided an example of how a compilation of factors increases risk and that one should keep this in mind. In your comments you went from mitigating risk to becoming an unemployed hermit living in fear !

    missheather, although I’m glad that the victim is OK, I think the most important thing here is that doesn’t happen again. And whether you’re talking about a job interview or criminals, the most likely indicator of future behavior is past behavior

    Does anybody remember the shooting that happened at that Production Lounge a year or so ago ? All the Stupids were present.

  11. kat on Wed, 9th Feb 2011 10:32 pm

    12. I reread it and understand it fully just as I did the first time. I still think it’s absolutely silly and, no, Green and Manhattan in front of the 24hr laundromat should not be considered a dodgy place simply because of one mugging that took place there.

    Anyway, like Heather said the main focus here should be on the person who was mugged. Hopefully they’ll catch the dude who did this. I’ve been informing my friends about what happened and telling them to spread the word (and many of them have been).

    As for me…well, i’m about to go out drinking until the wee hours of the morning! Here’s to hoping my friends didn’t turn stupid since I saw them last…

  12. bleibtreu on Thu, 10th Feb 2011 5:34 pm

    13. So, that was 4 AM, the early morning hours of the Super Bowl night, right?

    Interestingly enough, I know a couple of guys who were ticketed a couple blocks north of that intersection on Manhattan Avenue about an hour before that. They’d left a party and were walking home bothering no one but each with a beer in his hand. Cops jumped on them quick for that crime. Meanwhile, a few blocks away this other guy was wandering around looking for someone to strong-arm for a little cash. Priorities?

    In fact, I would bet I know exactly who this guy is. I don’t mean by name, but that I’m pretty sure I saw him in the vicinity – within a few blocks – two or three hours before. And I’ve seen him in the area a couple of other times over the past couple of weeks. He’s asked me for a cigarette as I’ve walked past him; since I don’t smoke it’s a short conversation.

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