Crime watch

BY JERRY DANZIG

Cash OutA young man learned the (very) hard way not to leave a large amount of cash unattended. At 3 p.m. on Friday, May 18, a 26-year-old Brooklyn man placed his backpack containing $10,000 in the back of his restaurant, GRK Fresh Greek at 111 Fulton St., and went to work. He returned at 4:30 p.m. only to find the money had been taken.

Motorcycle TheftSurveillance video showed how easily thieves snatch motorcycles. At 4 p.m. on Monday, May 13, a 32-year-old West Side man parked his motorcycle in front of 2 River Terrace. When he returned the following day at 4:30 p.m. his red 2017 Yamaha FZ-09 was gone. Surveillance video showed an unknown man pull up in a minivan at 4:50 a.m. the next day and load the bike inside the van. The Yamaha is at $8,500.

Van StolenIf you’re going to leave spare car keys in your vehicle you should probably find a better hiding place for them than the glove compartment. At 3 p.m. on Monday, May 21, a 57-year-old Staten Island man parked his white 2004 General Motors Safari van in front of 4 South St. before he went to work. The van was missing when he returned to get an item from the vehicle at 5:35 p.m. Surveillance video revealed a man in a black jacket opening the back door to the van, going inside and then driving away. The victim told police he kept extra keys in the glove compartment and that he had left the back door of the van unlocked. The van was last sighted going over the Brooklyn Bridge at 6:01 p.m. and heading along the Belt Parkway at 6:50 p.m. The van is valued at $7,500.

Free-Rider ArrestedAn impostor took the Port Authority for a ride — nearly 100 rides, in fact, police said. During the period between May 1, 2017, and March 31, 2018, a 29-year-old man impersonating a Port Authority of New York and New Jersey employee used a Port Authority private car service account to hire vehicles for transportation 96 times, falsifying business records and defrauding the PA out of $5,562.63, according to police. Scott Rosenthal was finally arrested on Friday, May 18, and charged with grand larceny.

Style StealWhen security guards are away shop owners will pay. At 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 15, a security guard inside the trendy LF boutique at 149 Spring St. went on break. When he returned an hour later a number of items of merchandise were missing from the front table. The stolen merchandise consisted of clothing totaling $2,880.