Searching #Greenpoint on twitter this morning the first five tweets are $2200 2Br apartment listings and locals complaining about the rainy weather and parking.
Last night it was a different and much scarier story. After 11pm the #Greenpoint twitter feed was flooded with residents wondering why helicopters were flying overhead – pointing to three – at that time unconfirmed – sexual assaults in the area.
During those moments I also got a text from a contributor about helicopters, over 20 police officers and K9 units deployed near her home on Nassau Ave and Sutton St – apparently searching for someone. She believed they were using infrared technology because the search light on the helicopter was off.
At that time the Newsmap on Gothamist reported a Home Invasion on Nassau around 11:30pm and earlier ABC Local reported a Home Invasion and Sexual Assault on Berry St in Williamsburg around 8pm.
NBC reported on the same story NOT calling it a sexual assault, and their story this morning reads that the suspect “knocked on [the Berry St women’s] door and threatened to kill her if she didn’t give him money, then forced his way in, took his clothes off and beat her …Â There was no report of a sexual assault.”
Why did her take his clothes off? And did he put them back on before he fled the scene?
Soon @alwaysactions, a twitter newsfeed, reported three Home Invasions in the 94th Precinct – on Berry St, Engert St & Nassau Ave (with exact addresses) – all tied to the same perpetrator presumably.
This morning, the same story on ABC Local was updated to read that last night’s Home Invasion Sexual Assault Suspect for all three locations was caught and is being questioned:
In the first attack, the suspect allegedly pushed his way into a third-floor Berry Street apartment home and attempted to sexually assault the victim. The incident happened around 7:50 p.m.
Police say the suspect pushed his way in and struck the woman, in her 20s, in the head. He also attempted to sexually assault her before stealing her iPhone and fleeing the apartment. The woman was taken to Woodhull Hospital in stable condition.
Police say the same suspect then pushed his way into an apartment on Engert Avenue in Greenpoint at 10 p.m. He is also believed to be behind an attack on Nassau Avenue in Greenpoint at 10:30 p.m. The victim in that case told police a man followed her to her third-floor apartment and grabbed her.
It’s bad enough that Greenpoint women must worry about their safety walking home at night, but to be concerned while behind closed doors is extremely unsettling. We can take some comfort in knowing that the suspect was caught. Even so the spike in crime in the 94th precinct recently is alarming and many locals are wondering, “What is going on in Greenpoint?”
Stay safe, Greenpoint.
It really is terrible. I think that it is a mixture of a bad economy, the summer and more money in the area. I have always noticed that these types of crimes occur most in areas where they know that there are many young adults who tend to be a bit careless, walk around with cell phones and cash and usually wear ipods, are not aware of their surroundings, drunk, easy targets. Why mug someone in a poor neighborhood? So please people, be aware, do not buzz in someone you do not know, lock doors and windows, trust your instincts and cross the street or turn and walk towards a person you think may be following you.
well said Gina.
Greenpointers — If you live in a multi-apartment building, never buzz in someone, even if you think its for a neighbor, or you think a neighbor is locked out. This is how an attempted break-in happened at our apartment on Green St. We were scared for our lives.
Is it a combination of the economy, summer and an in increase of moneyed residents or is it the new homeless shelter? I’ve lived in this neighborhood for ten years and I have never seen so many people sleeping/passed out on the sidewalk as I have this summer.
I was in support of the homeless shelter and thought that people’s complaints were based on fear and stereotype. Now, with this uptick in crime in the area, I’m starting to agree with those who opposed the shelter.
I agree… Just walking my dog today around Greenpoint I saw three separate groups of homeless guys – some hanging in the alcove by the school on Driggs Ave by Monitor, some hanging on Engert near the Diner on Meeker ave, and some just walking around drunk/stumbling. These aren’t the “usual” homeless guys that I’d always see in McGolrick Park, either, it’s all new faces
I totally agree – I was thinking people were over reacting to the shelter. Now since it is opened – we have heroin junkies, an illegal scrapping business and homeless people sleeping on street – all on Huron. Plus crime appears to be on the rise. Really would love to get some community action together to curb this – Greenpoint is a great neighborhood – would love to keep it that way!
Wow that is crazy. I remember as a kid growing up and when asked where I lived I would say Greenpoint and people would be puzzled about where that was…with it being the new “it” place its obviously too well known. Not only has its new popularity brought economic growth but a rise on crime…sad to see.
I often see young people walking in the dark, completely oblivious to what/who is around them while engrossed in their screens. So, they are 1) unaware while 2) attracting attention with their iProducts. Sometimes they don’t have screens but are loudly laughing and talking to each other while slowly walking down the street LATE at night. I always walk late at night with a stone face, quietly, briskly. (And, folks with long hair — keeping it in a bun prevents someone from grabbing your hair or ponytail…) A friendly reminder, people, heads up, and get street smart!
What is going on in Greenpoint?
We have to tahnk our lovely mayor Bllomberg for letting his administration open in very safe neighborhood shelter for homeless men. ARE THEY CRAZY?! Since that day all this started happening. We have to fight to close this place as soon as possible and move somewhere far far away from here.
This is a small part of article from Daily News from March this year!!!
“Greenpoint residents are furious a group of sex offenders are now being housed at a controversial new shelter in their neighborhood.
Last August, the Bloomberg administration quietly opened a 200-bed homeless shelter at 400 McGuiness Blvd. for men with mental illness and substance abuse problems.
That includes residents like Ronald Perry, 38, who was convicted of sexual contact with a kid less than 11 years old in 2008, records reveal.
Gray Rayshawn, 41, who was convicted of molesting a 14-year old boy in 2008, also calls the shelter home, records show.
All told, six sex offenders have listed the shelter as their residence, according to online registries.”
THIS HAS TO STOP. WE NEED TO BOYCOTT THIS HOUSE AND LET IN MOVE!!!
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/greenpoint-residents-angry-neighborhood-includes-homeless-shelter-housing-sex-offenders-article-1.1282510#ixzz2brYSqk4S
I wouldnt be surprised if theres a connection to the homeless shelters, the crime on the streets and the new condos that are going to go up in greenpoint
I would hope that before you or anybody else boycotts a shelter, you would wait and see if there’s some link between the crimes committed and residents of the shelter. The accused person might not be a resident of the shelter.
Also, it’s not very helpful to name/shame people who have criminal convictions. We do not know if either of the people you named had anything at all to do with the current crimes, which, as far as I am aware, have nothing to do with school age children.
Be safe and vigilant, but finger pointing at the shelter seems premature.
Lisa. ( regarding comment on homeless shelter) Are you kidding me!? Do you even live in Greenpoint or have any children ? “Not pass shame or judgment on these people with convictions” ????? These recent crimes may not have anything to do with the shelter BUT I believe it should be shut down!!!! Child molestors and rapists should be far far away from strong family communities. Greenpoint is not the place for them! So Lisa, surely you can agree that you wouldn’t want your child living next door to a man who rapes little boys and or women? Where do I sign up to protest?
First, I do live in Greenpoint (because if I lived in a different community, I suppose that my viewpoint would be invalid to you). Second, whether or not I have children is not relevant to my viewpoint about placing blame where blame is due – which, in this case, is NOT the shelter. If the crime was against a child and it was perpetrated by a resident of the shelter, I’d take that into consideration because then it wouldn’t be fearmongering.
Society has created a problem of homelessness. That doesn’t change if you boycott a shelter in Greenpoint and it does not guarantee that “those people” are out of the neighborhood.
Lisa, you’ll be singing a different tune after you or one of your loved ones gets mugged or raped. Don’t be a fool.
I would not call myself a fool because I choose not to fear a homeless shelter in my neighborhood; in fact, I would not call anybody a fool because that’s really not particularly polite.
I’m a public defender. I guess I look at criminal convictions and recidivism statistics differently than you do, and choose to advocate for housing people in a shelter when there’s no connection or correlation between said shelter and the crimes from the other night. Just a thought.
I totally agree. No one want to consider that 1) The Daily news inflames (don’t assume it fact checks) 2) the confluence of the economy and the mindless hipsters that have begun to dominate this neighborhood (I’ve been here on northside of Greenpoint for 14 years) certainly could account for rise in crime. and perhaps a small portion may come from shelter. Its a bit annoying to see how small-minded those wanting to indict the shelter are, “lets save our nice neighborhood”. This is NYC, get wise or get out. If you bring your money and wave it around (as one person said, drunkenly carrying your cell phone/bag), you make a good target)!
i’m not the same “jane”
Okay, so I think that having this shelter in Greenpoint is bullshit because, as the dailynews article notes, Greenpoint already has carries more than its fair share of the city’s burden with all the waste treatment stuff, and like all Greenpoint residents, I’m appalled at the crime wave that’s hit this summer and feel very unsafe.
However, can we please not jump to demonizing people with mental illnesses and substance abuse issues? These people aren’t committing crimes because they have mental illnesses. They’re committing crimes because they’re assholes. I don’t know of any mental illness that causes someone to become a rapist.
There are sex offenders everywhere, this idea that if you don’t let them live near you, then your kids will be safe is not based in reality. Most child sex abuse is perpetrated by a family member or someone else the child knows. So unless you frequently have dinner or hang out with the registered sex offenders in the neighborhood, your child will likely have no interaction with them at all.
Also, how does one boycott a homeless shelter? By not moving in?
“Also, how does one boycott a homeless shelter? By not moving in?”
^Golden!
What is going on, really. Any details on the suspect? Any relation between this/last events and the new shelters?
7 is reporting that he’s a 24 year old guy who is “likely” homeless. They don’t say where he originates from (or anything else) though. http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/new_york&id=9204053
400 McGuinness – we live just up the street on Dupont and it is clear that that shelter has been the reason for a lot of trouble in the area. Lots of people on the sex registry going through there. its really upsetting and scary.
This is still a very safe neighborhood. Obviously you should always be cognizant of your surroundings, particularly if you choose to use electronic devices in public.
Even with a great police presence, you’re never going to be able to entirely prevent one individual or a group of individuals, whether from the neighborhood or not, from committing random acts of violence. At least in this case, it sounds like the police response was excellent and the perpetrator may have been caught.
Here are the stats, by the way: http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/downloads/pdf/crime_statistics/cs094pct.pdf
http://m.nydailynews.com/1.1425464
According to this, it WAS a homeless man. Just great. The PIX report mentioned a deli clerk reporting seeing the perp lurching around Nassau, on drugs. Same report suggests he cased the Berry St building. It all doesn’t quite add up, and every story contains different info, but I suspect this — along with the missing girl, pistol-whipping, and McGolrick chaos – will cast a long and dark shadow over illusions of Greenpoint’s suburban safety for the rest of the summer.
In addition to the building on McGuinness which the opening in March does seem like there might be a connection between the rash of recent crimes this spring & summer, there is also a building on Manhattan Avenue (1109 to be exact) called “Greenpoint Hotel” that is also a halfway house of sorts (not sure the exact legal details, but the only person I’ve ever met who lived there was a convicted sex offender who followed me home on night about 2 years ago:
Here are more links on the topic –
http://www.yelp.com/biz/green-point-hotel-brooklyn
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/01/nyregion/01greenpoint.html
http://www.newyorkshitty.com/tag/greenpoint-hotel
In addition to the building on McGuinness which the opening in March does seem like there might be a connection between the rash of recent crimes this spring & summer, there is also a building on Manhattan Avenue (1109 to be exact) called “Greenpoint Hotel” that is also a halfway house of sorts (not sure the exact legal details, but the only person I’ve ever met who lived there was a convicted sex offender who followed me home one night about 2 years ago:
Here are more links on the topic –
http://www.yelp.com/biz/green-point-hotel-brooklyn
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/01/nyregion/01greenpoint.html
http://www.newyorkshitty.com/tag/greenpoint-hotel
i saw a dudes stomach bleeding from a stab wound on guernsey and maybe norman on sunday(11th) around 1pm. i was driving, so i didnt get any specifics, but shit looked crazy. broad daylight!
Too many stupid hipsters and yuppie douchebags in Greenpoint.
Any more details on this case?