Warning - thief on bike evenings nr Park Pl + Vanderbilt

Perhaps you're right, Hamilton, but I was trying to figure out a way not to seem creepy--and also attempting to discern whether I was correct in my suspicion of the guy. After all, I didn't know anything about the thief-on-a-bike. I'll take a different approach, if there's a next time.

...

yesnomaybe--i saw the same person around the same time.

around 7:30 i was walking back from amorina down prospect. about halfway between vanderbilt and underhill i realized that i had been following the same two people most of the way east on that block of prospect. there was a woman about 30 feet away talking away on her cell phone, oblivious. between us a biker--i believe he was "out of the saddle"-- biking slow enough to match the casual walking speed of this woman.

guy fit the last description (though my guess is he's somewhere around 15-20). his jacket had 4 letters on the back, RWCB maybe? RW something definitely, because i was thinking maybe rocawear, but i can't verify any rocawear something something combination. i'll verify that he had a red hood under the jacket, pulled up. confirming the bike was red, of the mountain bike/chinese delivery variety. from earlier descriptions of slow sidewalk biking, i had been expecting a teenager on one of them tiny bikes, but this was a full size red mountain bike, roughly sized for his height.

i realize now i should have caught up and told that woman she might be more careful walking down the street and talking on the phone. all i did instead was make it very obvious that i was behind him (struck the heels of my dress shoes harder on the pavement, whistled a jaunty tune loudly). i got ahead of him at some point and stood on the stoop of my building and made eye contact as he pedaled past. gave him that "hey i see you there" look.

i also called the 77th precinct and told them to be on the look out.

man, i'm going to feel like a real dick if it's just some guy slowly biking himself into shape down the sidewalk! and will also feel like a dick if that woman's phone was stolen.

if it really was the phonenabber, guy's got balls. there were lots of people out on prospect, underhill, and plenty of car and bike traffic down the street. but he was still stalking behind this woman, ready to pounce.

Hamilton wrote: Why not post warnings , that will make the punk who is doing this aware that he is being watched.

It will also inform the community that there is a problem that has to be addressed .

Lets go wild west on his ass and put up wanted posters all over the hood. Be sure and keep things PC by crossing out dead where it says dead or alive. A poster or 2 will surely have this guy shaking in his boots. We should form a posse just to let other wrongdoers know that there are law abiding folks out in these parts. Or you could have the portly p-gs activate 1 of 4 features on the phone(s) that will allow it to tracked.. the only reason they cops don't follow up is that they don't want to set a precedent.

Hamilton wrote: Why not post warnings , that will make the punk who is doing this aware that he is being watched.

It will also inform the community that there is a problem that has to be addressed .

Lets go wild west on his ass and put up wanted posters all over the hood. Be sure and keep things PC by crossing out dead where it says dead or alive. A poster or 2 will surely have this guy shaking in his boots. We should form a posse just to let other wrongdoers know that there are law abiding folks out in these parts.

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WOW, Clint Eastwood lives in Prospect Heights, now I really feel safe.

I believe posting crimes that occur in your neighborhood is an effective tool in alerting the community to what's going on.
I recommend you go to the Precincts monthly meeting and address your concerns there , just ranting here doesn't resolve anything.

He's still circling, slowly and closely following people down the block.

Still keeping a close eye in him.

Two more police cars on scene just now, flashed their lights to cross intersection , staying silent.

Sheesh.

He is back again, sitting on his bmx bike on the SW corner of Vanderbilt at Park Place.

Now he's riding back and forth as usual again along thx south side of Park Pl bet Vanderbilt and the 7th Ave station at Carlton/Flatbush.

Anyone wanna stake this guy out with a camera with a good flash, so we can get a good photo of this creep?

I will help.

This guy has serious stones, right back at it again for another night.

Just stopped a police car on Underhill @ Sterling and gave them the detailed descrip.

Unfortunately I have to head out now.

Keep yer eyes open, folks...

Yep, kept distance, had my own hood on when on foot, was even in a vehicle for some of it. And was working in tandem with plenty of other eyes on him.

...sadly, I didn't see him in the vicinity between 9:00 and 9:45, when I just happened to go on a walk with my camera.

this is insane. this guy has serious gall. And, after you and others watching him for what seems like a while and alerting the police, why hasn't this kid get picked up? Does he have to try to steal something for them to haul him in for questioning?

That said, this thread is mad entertaining. I'm hoping one of y'all will be out there when he gets nabbed.