4 SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN CAR BREAK-INS

4 SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN CAR BREAK-INS

This van parked on Conklin Avenue near Durland Place, a quiet northwestern Canarsie street, shows damage allegedly committed by four suspects last Monday shortly before they were arrested and charged with taking part in a spree of local vehicle break-ins. Charles Rogers

Cops Collar Teens & Adult After Car Break-In Spree

By Charles Rogers

Police from the 69^th Precinct this week arrested four suspects — three youths and one adult — and charged them with allegedly breaking into at least four cars in a one-night spree. The police are currently investigating whether the break-ins were attempts to steal the cars, as opposed to trying to steal items from within the cars.

Police Officers Frank Miceli and Richard Sands said they were patrolling on Rockaway Parkway at about 2 a,m, when they were flagged down by a man who said he saw the quartet allegedly vandalizing a parked late-model Continental near Avenue J and East 91^st Street and thought he saw the same group tampering with vehicles on Conklin Avenue near Durland Place.

The two officers concentrated their patrolling on Flatlands Avenue in northwestern Canarsie and spied the four allegedly breaking into another vehicle on East 91^st Street.. They brought the suspects to the Foster Avenue stationhouse where they were identified by the first witness.

Captain Robert Johnsen, commanding officer of the precinct, commended the two officers, as well as the victim.

"This is what it’s all about," he said. "My officers did a good job collaring these individuals. At the same time, the victim reported what he saw right away and was able to give us information so the suspects could be picked out by the officers. By working hand-in-hand with the community, we can get these people off the street."

He said it wasn’t yet clear whether the suspects were trying to steal the cars.

"In a couple of cases it looked like the cars were set up to be hot-wired, but that’s just conjecture before we investigate further," he said.

The names of the suspects were not released pending the investigation.

Since auto thefts have become such a widespread problem within the Brooklyn South area, more emphasis has been put on Anti-Crime Unit (ACU) patrols.

According to Captain Johnsen, a few inroads have been made, thanks to members of his Anti Crime Unit, with two arrests made recently.

One of the arrests, made last month,

but just recently disclosed, named a young teenager and an adult. The other named a teenager apparently working alone.

"The two teenagers involved in the cases are both under 15 and therefore we can’t release their names," said Johnsen. He said Keith Copeland, 27, address unknown, was with one of the teens when they were spied by ACU Police Officers Jared Lasky and Thomas Van Schuyler — the same officer who made this week’s break-in arrests. The suspects were allegedly

driving in a 1995 Mitsubishi that had been stolen only hours previously. Both suspects were arrested and Copeland was charged with grand larceny. The charge to the youth is still pending, although his case will probably be remanded to Family Court.

The other case also involved Officers Lasky and VanSchuyler, who saw a late-model Toyota that had been stolen and was being driven by another 15-year-old. They arrested the youth and charged him with grand larceny. The disposition of his case is also still pending.

"These kids obviously take the cars to see what they can get for materials inside," said Johnsen. "They try to take them to a fence — a person who will buy from them and then re-sell the parts — if they can, that’s why we’re cracking down as much as possible and, thanks to diligent work, we’re showing some results."