BURGLARY SUSPECT ARRESTED

According to the Brooklyn Eagle, police have arrest a suspect they believe to be responsible for the recent wave of burglaries here in the Ridge.

You can read the article here.

No mention whether the suspect was involved in the armed home invasion last month.

GUNFIGHT AT THE NOT OK CORRAL

"Let's drive," she said. "It'll be fun," she said.

Yesterday my wife, daughter, and I drove into Manhattan for a play date on 110th street. After a series of boneheaded moves that took us over the Manhattan Bridge and then back into Brooklyn over the Williamsburg Bridge, we finally made it over the Triboro Bridge. We were sitting at a red light, a mere block away from the play date, when a cop car pulls up and parks perpendicular right in front of us, blocking our way. The next thing I know, there are about 5 cop cars all around us. The cops get out of their cars with their weapons drawn. Um - - weapons!? I took a look in my rear view mirror, wet my pants (not in that order) and said, "they're after the guy behind us."

And sure enough, I was right. The cops started yelling for the guy to get out of his SUV, show is hands, and to get down on the ground. I'm thinking, "please oh please don't go out in a blaze of glory. Do what they say."

Fortunately he did. The cops got him down on the ground and cuffed him. They cuffed the woman who was driving the SUV.

The light turned green and I was able to go around the cop car.

Another perp pinched by our peace-keeping posse.

(GRE)GORY MURDER UPDATE #3

Here's yet another update on the Paul Mento death.

Newsday is reporting that

investigators have information that he had a gambling problem, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation has not been completed.

Gambling problem.
Possible debt to someone who really wanted the money.
Suicide from duct tape over mouth and nose.

One of these things doesn't fit.

HERE'S WHAT I DON'T GET

Okay, so they're saying Paul Mento committed suicide by asphyxiation caused by duct tape over his mouth. I've never tried it and I don't intend to try it, but wouldn't the natural reaction to not breathing be to rip the duct tape off your mouth?

I'm not buying the suicide theory and I'm certainly not buying stock in Best Western.

(GRE)GORY MURDER UPDATE #2

So here's yet another update about the death of Paul Mento.

As you may know by now, Paul Mento was found dead the at the Best Western Gregory hotel. It was initially reported (here at Left in Bay Ridge as well) that he was found duct taped to a chair. This evidently is false. Then it was reported (here as well) that he was found in the bathtub with duct tape over his mouth. This is evidently false as well. Police said they were investigating the death as "suspicious." Um, yeah, duct tape over the mouth and all.

Well, the latest is the police have ruled Paul Mento's death as a suicide. A WHAT!? That's right, a suicide. According to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle -

The Medical Examiners Office determined that it was in fact a suicide, and that Mento died through asphyxiation caused by the duct tape.

Police found no blood, no trauma, no signs of struggle, no drugs and no alcohol. “Not a piece of furniture was touched,” according to a police source.

No word yet on whether there was a suicide note.

But one thing is certain, for all your banquet and murder needs in Brooklyn, the Best Western (Gre)Gory Hotel is your best bet.

(GRE)GORY MURDER UPDATE

According to the NY Times, the body found at the Gregory Hotel in the Ridge was Paul Mento, 52. His mouth was covered with duct tape. And here's the best part -

"The police said they were investigating the death as suspicious."

Sharp as tacks, that police force.

And yet John Rossi's suspicious death not so suspicious to the police.

THE (GRE)GORY HOTEL

No sooner do I post about crime stats and the fact that the Ridge hasn't had a murder so far this this year when - STABBO! - the Best Western Gregory comes through with a murder.

The Rover has the details so far. Man taped to a chair, stabbed to death. Your typical Bay Ridge hotel murder.

But here's a hint - don't stay at the Best Western Gregory Hotel!

IT'S A CRIMING SHAME

It's near the end of February so I thought I'd check in to see how we're doing crime-wise compared to last year. Here in the Ridge we're down so far in murders, rapes, robbery, assault, burglary, and grand larceny auto. We're up in grand larceny.

Overall we're down -6.34% from last year. Our 2-year change is -16.35, 7 year change is -33.50, and our 15 year change is -78.75. But don't forget that holiday murder rush we had at the end of 2007.

City wide is not so good. We're up in murder, rape, robbery, assault, and grand larceny auto. We're down in burglary and grand larceny.

Overall city wide we're up .31 since last year.

So what does all this mean? Hell if I know. I'm still pissed off Starbucks is closing early tomorrow.

GANGLAND

I read two disturbing articles today about gangs in Bay Ridge. Graffiti crime was up 96% in Brooklyn last year, more than in any of the boroughs.

Graffiti often signifies a gang presence in an unsuspecting neighborhood, like Bay Ridge.

The Ridge had 185 graffiti crime complaints last year, up from 73 in 2006. That's an increase of 156.9%!! Only Williamsburg had more complaints with 186. Just one more than The Ridge, so I'm going to call it even. If I was getting that kind of increase in my investments that would be fantastic. But I'm not.

So what does that say about The Ridge!?

I'll tell you what it says and it isn't pretty. According to Deanna Rodriguez, head of the Brooklyn district attorney's gang unit,

"once you know how to read it, it can be frightening. When it comes to gangs, they are not tagging places because they have nothing else to do, they're making a statement. This is a precursor to other activities, and when we see it, we can pretty much tell when the violence is coming."

Oh good. That just made my day. Where's my Xanax? Evidently, The Ridge is popular with the Latin Kings, a Puerto Rican gang, and the Italian gang Hoodlums Doing Damage.

Maybe we should have less Gestapo meter maids and have more police to combat this growing problem.

TAKE THAT, PARK SLOPE!!

If you've been a loyal reader of the Bay Ridge Blogs, most notably Righty and Rover, you know that there's been somewhat of a fracas about the merits of Park Slope versus Bay Ridge. The verbal donnybrook led to a throwdown -- a serving, if you will -- that Bay Ridge couldn't come up with a list of one let alone a list of one hundred. I have nothing against Park Slope. My father was born there so I have a fondness for the place. But now that I'm in Bay Ridge, I'm going to tote the company line. So I would now like to add my two cents.

First off, the Park Slope 100 includes Homeless people --

THE HOMELESS MEN OF OLD FIRST

Well if Park Slope can use Homeless people, we can use drunkards. Walk into any drinking establishment in Bay Ridge, say Skinflints, and -- boom! -- one hundred. No problem.

Secondly, the Park Slope 100 totally co-opted our tornado --

THE BROOKLYN TORNADO because on August 8th, 2007 you blew our socks off.

Um, hello, it was the Bay Ridge Tornado. It touched down right here in Bay Ridge. It's our tornado. If we know one thing here in The Ridge, it's destruction. And the tornado gave way to a wonderful game called "Tornado or Urban Blight?" Hours of fun.

What this is leading up to is the article, What a Safer City Looks Like, in the latest edition of New York Magazine. And here is where The Ridge really shines. The article maps out crime statistics for every neighborhood in the city from Jan. 1-Dec. 23, 2007. Here's the Park Slope/Bay Ridge comparison:

1. Murders - Park Slope: 1 Bay Ridge: 4.

Ha! Take that fancy Park Slope. And you all know we made a last minute effort to up that number.

2. Rapes - Park Slope: 7 Bay Ridge: 7.

Okay, so we tied.

3. Robberies - Park Slope: 165 Bay Ridge: 126.

Yeah yeah, so you're better at robberies. Lucky year.

4. Assaults - Park Slope: 83 Bay Ridge: 125.

In your face, Slopers!

5. Burglaries - Park Slope: 192 Bay Ridge: 300.

Snap! Oh man, we totally mopped you up in burglaries. 300! That's almost a burglary a day, not counting Sundays and the Feast of San Gennaro.

So take that, Park Slope. Stop dissing the Ridge until you can get your crime stats up to our level.

THE RIDGE TO THE RESCUE

Another day. Another murder. This one not in The Ridge. 52nd and 4th. Sunset Park. Hit and run. But Chris Blake of Bay Ridge came to the rescue. He and a few other good Samaritans chased down the driver and held him until the police arrived. Thank you, Chris, for proving we're not all murderers here in The Ridge.

MURDER INC

Oh sure, New York's homicide rate may be on pace for a record low, but here in The Ridge we're doing all we can to prevent that record from being set. There was another murder in The Ridge on Thursday. That's right -- another murder --!! This time it involved an emotionally deranged man and a knife. What the hell is going on here? I thought this was a quiet community, but we've had a string of unsolved bank robberies, a murder a day, fascinations with sharp stabbing pains -- What the hell --!?

PEACE ON EARTH?

For those of you who like your holidays morbid --

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto is killed in a presumed suicide attack at an election rally

Peace on earth, goodwill toward men.

LOOK WHO GOT A GUN FOR CHRISTMAS

Ah, the holiday spirit was thriving in Bay Ridge as two men were shot late Tuesday night.

Police said the 29-year-old victim, who was shot in the head, was pronounced dead at the scene. The other victim, 30, was shot in the upper arm and was listed in stable condition at Kings County Hospital. Both men were not immediately identified.

Let's hope that holiday tradition goes away in 2008.

KNOCK KNOCK...HOUSEKEEPING

Right in Bay Ridge was the first to report that a Bay Ridge man was killed earlier today at the Gregory Hotel at 8315 4th Ave. Here's the latest from the Brooklyn Eagle -

Police are conducting a homicide investigation into the death of a Bay Ridge man found stabbed Monday afternoon in the Best Western Gregory Hotel at 8315 Fourth Ave. in Bay Ridge.
Police said 26-year-old David Diaz was stabbed in the back with blunt trauma wounds to his head.

Diaz was found around 12:20 p.m. by a maid working for the hotel. Squad cars arrived on the scene shortly thereafter. Police said they are investigating why Diaz, who lived blocks away from the hotel, on Fifth Avenue near 76th Street, had been staying in the hotel. Police had not made any arrests by press time.

My parents stayed here over Thanksgiving and it seemed like a lovely place, but then I looked at the fine print:

Hotel Amenities:
Complimentary continental breakfast
Meeting facilities available
Internet Lounge
Multilingual staff (English, Russian, Italian, French, Greek, Portuguese, Spanish)
Complimentary newspaper
Valet laundry
Secured valet parking available, $11.00 to $20.00 nightly
Catering
Conference services
Fax services
Photocopy services
High-speed Internet access
Interior corridor
Occasional Murder

STABBINGS

Once again the Rover is right on top of life in Bay Ridge as he reported two stabbings in our neighborhood.

Here's the latest on the Fort Hamilton stabbing.

A high school freshman was attacked outside Fort Hamilton High School in Bay Ridge this morning.

Education officials say the student was walking into the school's main building when his necklace was snatched. He was also cut on the arm, though it's not clear what kind of weapon was used.

"I saw the kid walking with blood on his white sweater, and the cops were following him. He had just gotten stabbed,” said a witness. He had just came from lunch or something and that’s it. The kid was smiling. He wasn't even hurt."

The Department of Education says officials are cooperating with police in their investigation.

The Rover will most likely have more info soon.