thatdog99 writes in regarding an incident that happened last night around 5:30PM on the corner of Underhill Avenue & Prospect Avenue:

“My friend was walking home from his work commute, when he was thrown to the ground, he was punched in the face and nose, as well as kicked in and around his stomach. His wallet and bag were stolen from him.”

“… when he went to the police to file a report today …The police said in the past six months crime in the area has risen, and that, which is what disturbs me as well as I live near the corner of St. John’s & Underhill, there is a group of teens/young men who hang at St. John’s & Underhill Ave, that even as young as 14, have been involved in numerous violent crimes and assaults.”

“The general description of many of the victims of recent muggings in the area, are Caucasian males, short hair, carrying a bag slung over the shoulder. I just wanted to share this information with you, so that you might serve as a way to get a warning out there.  I am far from an alarmist, but it did actually send a shockwave through me when one of the police officers told my friend that he should really move out of the neighborhood as its safety is very much in question.”

From the Prospect Heights Message Board

Uploaded on March 29, 2005
by kenpete

ftunnah writes: “Does anyone know what happened at the Grand Army Plaza Stop today? There were about 6 cops there around 1pm this afternoon and there was a lot of blood on the platform. I can’t find it on any local news websites….”

Posted in the Prospect Heights Message Board

In the Prospect Heights Message Boards:

billtron writes: “Hooray! Did anyone else catch the dozens of police cars heading up Eastern Parkway toward the arch flashing their lights (last night)? Parades are fun!”

snootyusher: “I was in a cab on the way home from the airport at about 9:45 PM, and it seems like this parade continued up Flatbush and made a left on Tillary towards the Brooklyn Bridge.”

Police Parade! in the Prospect Heights Message Boards!

sterling2000 writes on the Prospect Heights Message Boards: Does anyone know what went down at Love Liquors on Washington last night around 7:15pm? As I was walking home, I saw the owner holding a towel to his head (as if he’d been hit) while another guy was quickly locking the door and shuttering the windows. Minutes later, two cop cars and an ambulance showed up.”

“That’s such a highly trafficked part of Washington (near Eastern Parkway) that time of night, I’m shocked a robbery/assualt would happen there at that time.”

jayce adds: “I was walking to my swim class last night around 7:45, and was amazed to see all the police, ambulances and spectators gathered at the Liquor store … Looked like the front door was smashed up…”

Read updates here: [Prospect Heights Message Boards]

IMAGE courtesy of Outlookskates.com

Report on NY1: “The three-alarm blaze started around 5 a.m. at an apartment building at 1033 Pacific Street… One woman was killed after she jumped four floors to escape the flames. Another woman and two small children were also found dead in the building.”

“This is the third fire in less than a week on Pacific Street. While there’s no word on whether the three are connected, investigators say all three were deliberately set.”

we have this thread:

http://dailyheights.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2484

and earlier, this thread:

http://dailyheights.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2222&highlight=fire

And now, this thread:

http://www.dailyheights.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2504&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=
lotsa fires.

LINK: Fire [Prospect Heights Message Boards]

NY1 Video: Broadband

From the Daily News: “The fire that gutted the Crown Heights brownstone next to mine Saturday morning could easily have killed me and my family… more than just the smoke stinks. Yesterday, a Fire Department spokesman told me the burning of 600 St. Marks Ave. has been classified as arson.”

“… the house changed hands three times in less than two years, each time for considerably more than the place was plausibly worth. In February 2004, a longtime owner named Gloria Moore sold the house for $640,000 to a woman named Francillia Ryan, who in turn sold the house to Janet Howard in December 2004 for $790,000… A few weeks ago, on Dec. 19, the house changed hands yet again, bought by someone named Crispin Booker for $850,000.”

“No one on the block thought the building was worth anywhere near that much… Neighbors tell me that an ominous warning was allegedly made to the building’s residents the night before the fire to quit the place or else.” Read more in the Daily News

From the Prospect Heights Message Boards:

“Am I the only one that noticed that Tony Soprano was pulling this scam, like, 3 seasons ago?”

Read more…

Cupcake writes in the Prospect Heights Message Boards:

“Did anyone else hear terrified screaming on Vanderbilt last night, around 12:15am? I was woken up from a light sleep by a woman’s horrifying screams: two long screams, and a short scream that ended abrubtly. I was so disturbed I called the kids at Happy Hour, figuring they were still up, to get some advice.”

“On the advice of Kate and Candicissima, I called the 77th Precint to report it. Some cops came by my place around 1am and I tried to describe as best I could what I heard, where it was coming from and what time it occured. The younger cop looked highly skeptical, but the older cop assured me they would check it out.”

Did you hear it too? Report here:
Prospect Heights Message Boards

From a comment e-mailed to Daily Heights by an unregistered user of the Prospect Heights Message Boards:

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

GMilner writes in the Prospect Heights Message Boards: “Last night, a man tried to force his way into my building by following a neighbor of mine. She managed to get the front door closed just in time…”

“The police took about 15 minutes to show up, and the guy was still in front of the door… for whatever reason the cops the cops let him go. They told us that he was barely coherent and that he had said something about how he worked in this building, so they got his address (or whatever address they gave him) and told him to go home.”

“Obviously, I’m annoyed at how they handled this. People should be careful in case he tries this again. Our building is on St. Marks between Underhill and Washington.”

This wasn’t the only incident: Prospect Heights Message Boards

Photo: Mr. Sparkle T-shirt Originally uploaded by Vaguely Artistic.
t-fal writes in the Crown Heights Message Boards: “There’s this guy who lurks about my block… I call him Mister Sparkles due to his rather impressive fronts that would make Flavor Flav green with envy … He is the sole and driving reason behind the deterioration of the once lovely quality of life on my block. “
“… He struts around like one of those grumpy commentators on the Muppets, giving shit to anyone and everyone who happens to pass by … he accused my boyfriend and I of being undercover cops … and now he’s got a cheering section of fourteen year old boys, the bastard.”
“There’s nothing worse than fourteen year old boys. He and his youth crew are outside my bedroom window nearly every night, including right now, serenading me with gunshots, random imitations of dogs barking, absurd proclamations about god.knows.what.”
“He starts incredibly loud fights with random people who happen to be passing by, at 4 am, and then follows them down the block creating a climate of fear and intimidation when once there was none.”
“My block used to be so live and let live! What happened? … It’s obvious: mister sparkles must die. But is he really worth going to prison for? Sadly, no. So therefore I suffer.”

Mister Sparkles Must Die: Crown Heights Message Boards

Too unseemly for this family-friendly website. For details, visit Daily Slope, Park Slope Neighborhood, Brooklyn, USA.

Remember about 10 days ago in Prospect Heights? When suddenly there were about 20 gunshots on Vanderbilt Ave. at 7 pm? And then 10 minutes later you checked the Prospect Heights Message Boards? And there was this rapidly evolving thread about a body laying on the ground near Carlton and Dean, and then it turned out that he was Javaughn Higgins, a kid recently indicted in the beating death of a Bangladeshi immigrant? But that Young Master Higgins got out of jail thanks to his mom who paid the bail against her home mortgage? And then it turned out that the kid had just tried to mug a guy for his iPod using a fake gun? And then the police found the guy and opened fire? And that was the story of the gunshots? Well now, here’s the story from the point of view of the guy mugged for his iPod, as told to The New Zealand Herald.

Discuss: Prospect Heights Message Boards

He’s back. Making the rounds last night.

esmits wrote in the Prospect Heights Message Boards: “This guy was agressive, not in the way that he just kept talking, or telling stories. He was physically agressive with his body language, verbally agressive too. He threatened me a few times. I thought I was being mugged.”

Who is he? According to your neighbor-in-the-know: “He is known to a lot of PHers as ‘Keith’. He’s notorious for intimidating people for cash. He likes to smoke crack under my stoop. he also has a very pronouced stutter. He’s known to follow people for several blocks.”

Early Warning System (beeeeeeep): Prospect Heights Message Boards

i walk downstairs to find my bike seat stolen

Originally uploaded by m.d.

queen_of_pies writes in the Prospect Heights Message Boards: “Last night, someone proved to me that my no-locking paranoia wasn’t enough to hold on to a bike when a thief wants your ride.”

“After riding home from work in the evening, I carried my bike up the three stairs of our stoop… After unlocking the hallway door, I turned around and saw a man hopping off the stoop carrying my bike…”

“I ran out of the building and down the stairs toward the thief, tripping on the bottom stair, which sent me sailing into him; me, the bike, and the thief all sprawling on the sidewalk. Me and Mr. Thief scrambled to our feet, and I grabbed my bike and screamed, ‘let go of my fucking bike!’”

“He took a few steps back–probably calculated that this shabby-looking bicycle wasn’t worth fighting this madwoman for–and said, ‘hey, I wasn’t trying to take your bike.’ What, then? trying to give it a tune-up? I picked up my bike and ran back into the building and turned to see him sauntering away.”

“Him: 5′ 8″, not badly dressed, slight caribbean accent, hair long and slightly dreaded. me: nursing knee bruises and glad to have my bike.”

Whoa: Prospect Heights Message Boards

Thanks to Maggie for the dispatch: “7:00PM: (10/21/05) I just witnessed a shooting on Carlton Avenue (between Dean & Bergen). We heard several pops, then we saw people running up Carlton (toward Flatbush) and then a man chasing another man, shooting. The guy being chased went down. Turns out the shooter was a cop. A lot of activity outside right now as well as the whole block taped off as a crime scene. Scary…”

This story is developing as we speak in the Prospect Heights Message Boards (click on yellow link above).

Ovos gelados

Originally uploaded by Eu Rics.

olivia writes: “Like fireworks around the fourth of July, egg violence peaks on Halloween but occurs duing the weeks building up to the holiday, then dies down. I wonder about the merchants who are selling the eggs to the kids? Do they know or care?”

daveb replies: “In Vermont, during the week before Halloween, you have to 18 to buy eggs. At least, that was how it was when I was growing up.”

Read more: [Crown Heights Message Boards]

metulj writes: “There was a mighty stench of death wafting all over Plaza St East, and it had nothing to do with the construction starting at Union Temple…”

“A leaf-and-lawn sized trash bag was left inside the fence of Plaza right in front of #50. It started smelling like total rot. Police were called. What was it? A chopped up underworld figure? A sack of heads?”

“No. It was about 50 dead pigeons. Police left said bag stinking like shit-covered death. Calls to 311 ensued.”

Speechless: Prospect Heights 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

No. Probably not. But eggs are flying everywhere, and an old-fashioned beatdown handed out on the corner of Plaza and St. John’s. metulj says: “There were a couple of teeth still there this AM… Read more…

Just spotted running up Vanderbilt Ave., can in hand. “He caught on that I was following him and gave me the slip at Butler Place…”
Prospect Heights Message Boards

pennysmith reports in the Prospect Heights Message Boards: “Shooting between Franklin and Classon, about 10 minutes ago (approx 9:30 pm, Mon., Oct. 3). Five loud shots, followed by a car tearing down the street. A few minutes later, two ambulances came.”

“A lady on my part of the block came running out of her house, yelling ‘Where is my son!’ Apparently at least one person was shot.”

“A few minutes after the shooting, after the police were there, another car came tearing down the block and stopped right in front of my house. A guy jumped out of it, screaming ‘Get back in the crib, man!’ And was promptly, and vigorously, arrested.”

Any bets on whether or not this will make any kind of news tomorrow?

Find out: Prospect Heights Message Boards:

Regarding today’s Prospect Heights manhunt, mc reports: “Okay, I’ve just gotten the scoop…. According to two sources, a man in an ‘89 Honda nearly hit a police office on a motorcycle in Manhattan and sideswiped another vehicle and refused to stop…”

“He was chased by police officers from Manhattan, over the Brooklyn Bridge, and drove to Prospect Heights where he fled the car. One witness reported seeing him flee in flip-flops. He is ‘in the wind’ at this time.”

“The car remains on St. Johns between Washington & Underhill, where it is being dusted for prints at this time. No injuries have been reported.”

Carnivore (and others) react: “DUDE! They couldn’t catch a guy fleeing in flip-flops? That is pathetic!”

See post below for the highlights or go to the Prospect Heights Message Board to see the whole thing unfold.

4:52 PM: Anybody in the neighborhood right now can hear them circling around. There’s one stationary over about Washington Ave. and another that’s in a repeated circle. What’s the deal? Just heard a siren on the street as well.

UPDATE: Anonymous guest writes: “I was going in my building on the corner of St. John’s and Underhill just as 5 or 6 police cars (some unmarked) were pulling away from the corner. I asked a guy who was standing around and he said some guy took off up St. John’s (towards Washington) with many police in pursuit (not sure if it was on foot, or by vehicle). Have a feeling they have him cornered or something…”

UPDATE 5:13 PM, mc writes: “According to the police officer I spoke to: “They’re looking for one of the guys in that building (on St. Johns between Washington & Underhill, closer to Washington.)” He didn’t know if said guy was still inside or not. Another man asked him, “It’s not one of them terrorist is it?” He shook his head no.
There are 50 million police vehicles there and still more arriving. What fun! I’m gonna check to see if the “guy” is in the backyard.”

UPDATE 524PM: Photos from Carnivore:

kellyjelly writes: “A cop staked at the top of St. John’s said that a man they are looking for parked his car on the block … they suspect he’s still on the block, or at least in the area. I asked if I should be wary of walking the streets at the moment, and he said ‘I don’t know, we don’t know what kind of man he is until we find him.’”

UPDATE 539PM: mc is back from the scene: “The cops aren’t giving up any info. They’re looking for some guy who did something. … Some “eyewitnesses” said they saw some guy take off. … There is a double-parked car that has the bejesus scrapped off of it. Could have been done by an emergencey vehicle or maybe the guy took off in a car and scraped it. … I assume this ‘guy’ is still on the loose cause there are still tons of police around.”

CARNIVORE: “One of the girls at the corner of Sterling and Underhill said a bunch of cops were charging up the stairs of her building with their guns drawn.”

MUTEFLUTE: “According to one fellow there, the police had earlier been charging down into basements with their rifles drawn.”

UPDATE: Some Guy Who Did Something, On the Loose on St. John’s Place??
Get updates here.

eastern parkway

Originally uploaded by trevorbrklyn.

Heads up! daveb writes: “I had 5 young guys try and rob me in the stairwell of the Eastern Parkway 2/3 station at about 10 AM this morning. No one was around and they tried blocking me, but I took off out of the station and onto the street where there were people around and walking to the station, so they booked it out of there. I’m in no mood for mugging #2.”

10 AM? On a weekday??
Get the details here.