Gowanus Lounge: Serving Brooklyn

Scary Park Slope Experience: Caught in the Middle of a Robbery

November 20th, 2007 · 4 Comments

Here’s a scary tale we came across on the Boerum Hill group email list that’s from someone who was caught in the middle of an armed robbery in Park Slope late Saturday night:

I just wanted to share a pretty scary thing that went down on Saturday night in the Park Slope `hood. At 2 am, I was on the way back from a show, stopped into Stop & Fifth Deli at the corner of 5th Ave and 5th street to use the ATM, and 3 tall young guys in hooded sweatshirts wearing bandanas over their faces came in rather briskly. The first guy who came in had a pistol in his hand, and I believe the second one did too. They robbed the store’s register and swiped a bunch of sundries and took the wallets and cell phones from the clerks. At the same time, the second guy tapped me in the back of my head with what I think was a gun, grabbed the cash I just taken out, and forced me again to take out as much money as I could (which wasn’t a huge amount, thankfully, and somehow I slipped my wallet back into my pocket, so thankfully it wasn’t taken either). He then had me lie down on the floor while they ran outside into a car with a driver that was waiting for them, and they took off up 5th street. It was a silver 4 door, maybe a camry or a Mitsubishi, no one saw the plates. The whole situation lasted less than a minute, and the cops came about 7-8 minutes later. I doubt that they will be caught, I’m just glad to be OK, but I’m a little freaked out about the whole situation. I have always thought of the Slope as a relatively safe place until now, just want to encourage you to be careful. You never know where or when crazy shit like this will go down.

Just another late Saturday night.

Tags: Park Slope

4 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Anonymous // Nov 20, 2007 at 7:27 am

    1) all night delis, convenience stores, etc in any town, city, neighborhood are prime targets for holdups. Park Slope is no exception.
    2) taking money out of an ATM at that time of day is pretty stupid
    3) what kind of idiot uses ATMs at conveninece stores…you were also robbed by all the fees for withdrawal.

  • 2 Ben K. // Nov 20, 2007 at 8:30 am

    I was going to say what anonymous said. Well done. It’s pretty dumb to take money out of an ATM at 2 a.m. no matter where you are, especially an insecure convenience store with no surveillance cameras. It’s not like PS is lacking for banks either.

  • 3 Anonymous // Nov 20, 2007 at 8:54 am

    You guys are idiots. Ever heard the phrase “the city that never sleeps.” People get out of work at midnight. People go to ATMs at 2am. Welcome to New York. Now go back to Iowa.

  • 4 Anonymous // Nov 20, 2007 at 9:33 am

    I don’t understand why Anonymous and ben.k trying to justify thieves (scumbags). I should be able to withdraw my money in grocery store especially if I know this neighborhood is pretty safe. I would run out right away and defiantly got a better description of a car and plates.

    Shamil/MyBrooklyn