68th Precinct Police Beat: Perps use sweepstakes scam to steal nearly $60,000 from elderly woman

Between Sunday, March 6 and Wednesday, March 9, the 68th Precinct received reports of four grand larcenies and one act of cruelty to animals. The 68th Precinct serves Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and Fort Hamilton.

SWEEPSTAKES SCAM

Cops say that a 72-year-old has been scammed out of approximately $59,999 by perps who convinced her she had won a sweepstakes.

On three different occasions between Monday, February 22 at 12 p.m. and Monday, March 7 at 12:53 a.m., police said, the woman sent money to a post office box, as instructed in phone calls made to her at her home at Fourth Avenue and 100th Street by a couple of different individuals. No prizes were received by the victim.

PIGEON PROBLEM

Cops say that a man described as a 45-year-old white Hispanic has been tossing pigeons onto the street while driving his car, a Nissan Quest. One witness, a 37-year-old man, saw that the perp throwing approximately eight pigeons from his moving vehicle on Wednesday, March 9 at around 6 p.m. The animals were described as in distress, not able to fly, unsteady, and collapsed to the ground. Cops recovered five of the pigeons and brought them to the ASPCA.

MANIC MONDAY

Two sets of tires and rims worth approximately $1,442 were taken from a car parked at 10th Avenue and 86th Street overnight on Sunday, March 6. The car’s owner, a 65-year-old woman, discovered the theft on Monday, March 7 at around 7 a.m. when she returned to the vehicle.

TECH THIEF

A laptop and smart tablet worth approximately $1,520 were filched from a car parked overnight at 78th Street and Fifth Avenue on Monday, March 7, When the owner, a 33-year-old man, returned to the vehicle at approximately 7 a.m., he discovered that the electronics were missing. There was no visible damage to the vehicle. Cops said that an arrest has been made.

MORE RIM AND TIRE THEFTS

All four tires and rims from taken from a car parked opposite 311 Battery Avenue sometime between Monday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday, March 10 at 9 p.m. The owner, a 31-year-old woman, discovered her loss when she returned to her car.