Category: Crime, Mischief, and Tomfoolery

Chinese Restaurant Website Defaced by Saudi

Originally uploaded by dailyheights.com.

……..Looks like Hunan Delight’s website just got defaced by “S4ud1-H4cK3r” (that’s “Saudi Hacker” for those of you not fluent in Leet Speak).

The hack starts out very politely, but quickly turns into a diatribe against Jews and Israel. The photo here (which is one of less graphic pictures) allegedly depicts “Israeli girls write messages on a shell at a heavy artillery position firing into civilians inside Lebanon”.

This has been up for at least 4 days now… The webmaster for www.hunandelightparkslope.com/ doesn’t seem to be in much of a hurry to fix it … it’s pretty much a 1-minute fix (delete/replace index.html) and a whole bunch of people have pointed it out. UPDATE: the site is “under maintenance” now.

Read what some Park Slope Jews (and others) have to say about the hack here:

www.brooklynian.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5336

Start Or End ?!

Originally uploaded by 718 Shooter.

Slope4-35yrs writes on the Park Slope Message Board:

My dented 17-yr-old Honda Civic was stolen Thursday night from Garfield Place (bet 8th & PPW). It had only 82000 miles and ran great, so I’m mourning its loss this weekend.
I just read the Police column from this week’s Brooklyn Paper and see that 8 other Hondas, most of them 2000 or earlier – two 1991s – have been stolen in the past week alone. My loss was too new to have been listed in this item.
I don’t know that much about car thets to figure out what’s going on. Does anyone have a theory? For parts? For export to a third-world country? Teenagers joyriding?

LINK: Honda Civics are Stolen in the Slope [Park Slope Message Board]

gowanus midnight

Originally uploaded by Incandenza.

……….Precious Williams writes on the Park Slope Message Board:

“A few nights ago I was walking my dog at somewhere between 10 and 11 at night. I headed down to Gowanus just for a change of pace … I usually walk the dog in Park Slope. As I was walking along St Johns between Third and Fourth Ave, a man in a truck slowed right down, leered and then asked me “how much?”.”

“When I looked at him with disgust and started to run away, he looked extremely embarrassed. WTF. I was wearing sweatpants and an old t-shirt at the time too…”

Idlewild says: “Apparently your curb crawler jut woke up from a deep freeze. That box area, from Atlantic & Nevins to 4th Ave to Nevins & Carroll up to 3rd Ave was a notorious streetwalker back in the day before you gentrifiers brought up real estate values. Up until five years ago, maybe a little more.”

Park Slope Message Board

WANdA U R A BitcH. doN’T COME HOME. Frankie

Originally uploaded by Slice.

smylegrrl writes on Daily Slope: Speaking of gangs in Prospect Park — I was running this evening (7pm, it was not even dusk yet) and a gang of teenagers flew by me on bikes in the runners’ lane. I said something like, “Hey – watch it – what the fuck” and one of them laughed and said “hit the bitch”. Then one of them punched me in the back of the head.

They were all on bikes — about 6-8 of them. I stopped a cop car and they drove me around the park looking for them. We found them after a few minutes, but b/c they were/are so young and I couldn’t say 100% positively which on hit me, there was nothing the cops could do.

This is ridiculous. I run in the park 4-5 times a week — now I am afraid to run even in the middle of the day. Something needs to be done about violent teenagers/ mischievants in the park. My friends have expressed their concern to me as well before this incident — that they are afraid of these teenagers on bikes (or off bikes). Is it just me or is it completely backwards that people are afraid to use the park because teenagers can apparently get away with anything????

NYSC

Originally uploaded by Victor Lombardi.

steve writes on the Park Slope Message Board:

“One of the reasons I joined (Park Slope) NYSC was for the steam room, but a couple of guys trying to get it on in there tonight kind of ruined that for me. A friend of mine had a similar experience and dumped the place.”

“I didn’t mention it to the management but I did mention it to someone who works there, and he said there wasn’t much they could do but tell the manager, and he apologized, which was cool, but unnecessary.”

“Anyway, that’s my story, I’m putting it here to see what ya’ll say. Personally whatever the reasons I don’t think there is any excuse for doing jack in there besides steaming. It’s beyond rude.”

Work thru this on the Park Slope Message Board

Police are on the scene near the intersection of Montgomery and 8th Ave. Many bomb squad vehicles have been up and down 8th Ave over the past several hours, police have been seen wearing oxygen tanks, and helicopters are now buzzing overhead. The streets have been closed between 7th and PPW between Garfield and Union, although at approximately 6pm the police seem to have adjusted the boundaries of the closed area to include more of 7th Avenue. More details on the Park Slope Message Board.

UPDATE: turgg reports that the commotion was the result of a grisly skydiving accident.

UPDATE 2: Other blogs as well as your intrepid correspondent report that the cause was actually a suspicious package.

UPDATE 3: Flexichick managed to unearth info on the biggest non-news event of the summer. Looks like it was numerous suspicious briefcases, duffel bags, and suitcases scattered all over North Slope. The Daily News has the scoop.

chrislisa writes in the Park Slope Message Boards: “This is the second time in a month this guy has come to my home. First time was about a month ago, approx. 8pm. He rang my doorbell (I live on the ground floor of a brownstone on President Street).”

“I looked out the window and he introduced himself as a neighbor who was in a bind, his daughter had an asthma attack, had just taken her to the hospital and needed money to get her medication. Of course I knew this was bogus, so I didnt let him in or give him money.”

“Tonight, the same man came to my home, this time at 10:30, claiming there was an emergency a few doors down. my partner chased him away. we called the police to warn them about this guy.”

“He’s a white male, heavyset, wears eyeglasses (similar to old school cazals, big and thickisch) and had on a blue hooded sweatshirt (both times) I would say he’s in his 30’s. not sure of height. has anyone encountered this same situation?”

More sightings of “Emergency Guy with Old School Cazals” in Park Slope Message Boards

Gothamist has a good piece on the crime wave instigated by roving teen gangs in Prospect Park. Discussion and more news clips on reference in the Park Slope Message Boards.

… and do you think what he is doing is ethical?

Image source: Stay Free! Magazine

Jake Greene is a professional panhandler and a fixture on Berkeley & 7th. Guestpks writes in the Park Slope Message Boards: “He seems to be friends with everyone! So many people stop by to chat with him. I wonder…does he really need to be asking for money?”

Well, THAT’S an innocent question, guaranteed not to cause a furor in the Park Slope Message Boards.

A little background: escap says the guy has been a fixture for decades: “I went to elementary school in Park Slope and that guy has been there since then (early 1980s), at least.” Over at Tremble they say that he was wrongly arrested a few years ago and received a six-figure settl/ement from the city – one that he’s already blown on “taffy and root beer popsicles, and now he’s back on the corner…”

Anybody hear what happened? Five shots were fired about 7 PM Friday evening, and two ambulances took people away. Any news?

deposit reports in the Park Slope Message Board that he/she spoke to the police: “I was visiting friends on that block and when we left the apartment, the cops were outside. The cops said that there was a robbery at the clothing store on the corner. I guess the robbery turned to gunfire. The cop made sure to tell us that no one was killed. Was that to reassure us?”

Updates: Park Slope Message Board

Eyewitness account in the Park Slope Message Boards from the neighbor of the victim of the attempted robbery on 15th and 8th:

jeb writes: “I was on the scene shortly after the incident happened around midnight. My upstairs neighbor, who was the victim of the attempted robbery that sparked it all off, recounted it to me right afterwards.”

“The shooting apparently took place when a couple of guys tried to rob my neighbors at gunpoint, on 15th Street between 8th and PPW, in front of our apartment building. A couple off-duty cops just happened to be driving by and saw the robbery in progress…”

“… They jumped out of their car and chased the perps down the street toward the park. Apparently that’s when some kind of gunshots were exchanged … They called for backup and continued to search for the guys throughout the neighborhood. Helicopters, EMTs, fire trucks, and tons of patrol cars arrived on the scene. Apparently in the search for the guys they cleared out Bar 4 to see if the suspects were hiding in there.”

“According to abc, they actually got the guys in there and recovered their guns.”

More chatter: Park Slope Message Boards

PS Mom’s Flyers Warn of Man Charged with Attempted Rape

Originally uploaded by dailyheights.com.

jaha127 writes in the Park Slope Message Boards:

“I know there are alot of mothers who read this blog, so I just wanted to give you an FYI …”

“Also, I don’t think this guy went to trial yet, and its also important to remember that you are innocent until proven guilty. But this is just a reminder about being cautious…”

Read the story in the NY Daily News.

Read neighborhood reaction in the Park Slope Message Boards

seven24 asks in the Park Slope Message Boards: Anyone hear about the shots fired on 15 street and 8th avenue last night?

fifteenthstreet says: “I live at 15th and 8th, and yes, I heard them … There were a lot of cop cars blocking off 15th street between PPW and 8th for at least 30 minutes, and a police helicopter with a search beam scouring the roof of our building … ”

Shots Fired on 15th St. & 8th Ave. [Park Slope Message Boards]

William from the lowercase L blog writes to Daily Slope:

“My friend Shana and I were walking down 3rd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues … and when we saw this SUV, we just couldn’t believe our eyes. Someone had smashed a pumpkin on the windshield and hood. And out of the hollowed pumpkin spilt a load of dog shit.

We wondered what could the owner of this automobile have done to deserve a “dumpkin”?

The photo was taken with Shana’s mobile phone cam, so forgive the quality. Ironically, she is a photographer for Corbis.

View if you dare: Smashing Dumpkins on Flickr

Ben writes in the Park Slope Message Boards: “anyone see the fire on 6th and 11th last night (Jan. 9)? It was the top floor of the building that Bar Toto is in. Anyone know the details on what happened? It looked really bad, huge flames shooting out of the top floor window.”

Read more: Park Slope Message Boards

From a comment e-mailed by an unregistered user of the Message Boards:

On Thursday 12/29 at 10:35am, I ran into a subway masturbator on the Q train going over the Manhattan bridge… ”

“I decided that I could disarm him by yelling at him, so as we went over the bridge, I said loudly something along the lines of “Excuse ME, but if you think I can’t tell that YOU’RE MASTURBATING, you’re wrong, and in case you’re too dumb to have noticed, I just took two pictures of you with my cameraphone, which I will show to the police…”

“… When the doors opened at DeKalb, he ran off, and I and another woman went off looking for the police. … I gave my description and showed my crappy, blurry photo and everything, but (the NYPD) didn’t even take my name so I don’t think they were intending to look for him.”

“That’s too bad, because my guess would be that the guy does this a lot. Why else would he be carrying so many napkins around? (Yuck.)”

Read description (black leather attache case??) and more grisly details in the Message Boards

A remarkably large number of New Yorkers have finished the New York Marathon. There’s a good chance you’ve done it once. Almost everyone knows somebody who’s crossed the finish line.

Yet it’s still regarded as an accomplishment of almost heroic proportions, which may explain why there is a disconnect between certain aspects of Marathon behavior and what we normally consider acceptable. On any other day, peeing in a public place is normally an offense that can get you a fine, if not a trip to the precinct house. Yet for some reason, it seems totally acceptable to us. You could be guilty of violating public urination laws while running in the New York City Marathon, and yet you’ve never thought twice about it.

There could be a good question in here somewhere for Randy Cohen, ethicist on call to NPR and the New York Times.

How could this disconnect exist? Does advertising play a role? Corporate marketing has clearly shaped our perception of what the Marathon is all about. As noted, tens of thousands of runners finish marathons each year, yet this particular road race has been transformed into a Celebration of Personal Achievement, mainly in the service of selling products, including sport shoes, socks and shirts, sugary “performance” foods, painkillers, and a wide variety of investment products. Are we cutting these heros too much slack? There are urinals strategically located all along the marathon route–is public urination really a necessity, or an attempt to shave a few minutes off the the finish time?

This ethical dilemma becomes very real just after the 7-mile mark in the ING New York City Marathon, as noted on Chubsucker.com: “…Runners passing through Park Slope, Brooklyn, on 4th Ave. are treated to a Poland Spring-sponsored water station … a vacant lot perfect for a quick piss is just one block away. This impromptu public urinal served many runners well today.”

The author continues: “Incidentally, I got into a mild argument with another spectator who scoffed my photographing this spectacle. He said it was disrespectful of me to take photos of their private moment. I asked if it was any more disrespectful than pissing on the side of someone’s house. And what makes this such a private moment?” Read more…

Work through this: Park Slope Message Boards

Tessa writes on NYC Metblogs: “…The guy put his foot in my door and would not let me close it, demanding his tip. I tried to close it, my heart beating faster realizing I’m a single female who lives in a studio with all my neighbors out already for the night. I think by the third time, he realized it too, pushed his way into my apartment and demanded I give him money.

“I gave him all the cash I had which amounted to only about $10 … I immediately closed my door, shaking violently (still currently at this moment), locking all three locks and then got on the phone to Fresh Direct…”

Read more: Tessa on NYC Metblogs

Discuss: Message Boards

donut box-throwing delinqs

Originally uploaded by kate at yr own risk.

kate at yr own risk reports: “…they threw an empty box at us when we walked by, and I turned around w/my camera and they split. josh wished their had been at least a donut in the box…”

Did you know? Park Slope Message Boards

Whew! Pat writes in the Park Slope Message Boards: “Okay, folks — very early this morning (3am-ish, 9/29) somebody torched a car on Garfield Place just west of 6th Ave. Is this a badge of honor? Are we now as ‘edgy’ as Prospect Heights? Ooooooh, what a thrill. My condolences to the owner of what used to be a snappy white rag-top.”

LINKS:
Dean St. Still “Street” Enough for Car Bombs [Daily Heights]
Car Bomb Helps NYC to Reach New Levels of Edgy [Gawker.com]

PICTURED: Recent car fire in Prospect Heights, on Dean St. across from the Newswalk condos. Rumor has it that it was intentionally set.

dw438 writes in the Park Slope Message Boards: “I’m amazed, happy and proud of my fellow Slopers …”

“On Monday, I misplaced my bank statement and cable TV bill on 3rd Street near 7th Avenue. I imagined the worst. Identity theft up the wazoo. Made all the right calls, cancelled the credit cards, put the bank on alert, (same bank account for 25 years god love ’em) and called Time Warner for a duplicate bill.”

“Open my mail box this afternoon, and lo and behold both letters were there. Re-postmarked. Unopened. Some god took them across the street to the post office annex and remailed them.”

How many people have bought a paper shredder within the past 2 years? For the first time? I know Prospect Heights had a problem recently with a very identifiable Identity Thief making the rounds (and spotted frequently inside a Flatbush Ave. business).

LINK: Park Slope = Nice People [Park Slope Message Boards: ]

From the Daily News: “A jilted lover who stalked his ex-girlfriend for two weeks erupted in a murderous rage yesterday – fatally shooting her and then himself at the hair salon she owned in Brooklyn … ‘I need to talk to you,’ Jorge Peguero, 54, told Vinicia (Dolores) Baez, 43, when he showed up at her Park Slope beauty parlor with a 9-mm. Glock hidden under his clothes.”

“It’ll only take a minute.”

SOURCE: Brooklyn Salon Owner Slain; Jilted lover kills ex & turns gun on self [NY Daily News]

DISCUSS: Park Slope Message Boards

Did anybody know the woman, killed today, who ran Dolores Beauty Salon (318 11th St.)? WABC says she was “immensely popular” with her clientele:

WABC reports: “A hair salon owner was gunned-down in Brooklyn Monday by a man believed to have been her boyfriend who then turned the gun on himself and committed suicide. It happened at 11:45 a.m. at Dolores and Alex Hair Stylists on 11th Street in the Park Slope neighborhood.”

“Witnesses say the gunman walked into the salon and confronted the woman in a back room, then shot her point blank in the head. He turned the gun on himself, and died on the scene … The woman, who has not yet been identified, was still alive in the moments after the shooting and was rushed to Methodist Hospital.”

“The gunman’s body remained in the salon, with a semi-automatic pistol lying in a pool of blood beside him …
The victim was immensely popular with her clients, many of whom crowded outside the crime scene in shock.”