[EasternPkwyQ]

Three girls tried to mug me just after 1 am on Eastern Pkwy between Washington and Underhill. I wouldn't give them my stuff so they proceeded to hit me pretty hard and then they knocked me over. Fortunately, the cops drove by at that moment and they caught them. Apparently of the five or so people they mugged this evening, I'm the only one willing to press charges. Ridiculous.

I am totally prepared for some jerks on this site to tell me I should have given up my stuff or somehow I'm the asshole in this scenario...thought I'd just save you the time.

For those who are a little more sensitive, I'm okay - just bruised and shaken with a fat lip and a sore jaw. But I'm really pissed off.

[possibly_maybe]

Would anyone here seriously recommend you give up your stuff? My simple rule which has worked in the past: if they have no weapon, they don't get my stuff. If they have a visible lethal weapon (gun, knife) and seem intent on using it, then it's really a no-brainer.

Glad to hear you're ok, and that you're willing to press charges. Assuming all goes well with the charges, this means that they can only be charged with / sentenced for just one attempted robbery (and the assault, etc that went along with it), and not the other 4?

That really would suck. I imagine the smaller sentence they'll be getting now would increase quite a bit if they got hit with all 5.

[daver]

As someone that has traveled Eastern Parkway at just about every time there is, I'm of the opinion that it is pretty damn brazen to mug someone on it at about anytime. And wearily shake my head every time I hear about something happening there. Again.

Sorry to hear about your injuries, that sucks. If you believe in healing vibes, I'll be sending some your way. Well, I'll be sending them regardless. Whether you recieve them or not would have more to do with whether you believe in them. Although, not really. Because if they _are_ in fact real, then it really wouldn't matter if you, or I, for that matter, believe or not.

Anyway. Thanks you being part of the solution.
_________________
"It's only as boring as you make it."

You're making me want to poke my eyes out with a spoon. Stop that.

Bringing the term thin-skinned to a whole new level!

[Jack Krohn]

Sorry about your injuries, but you did an admirable thing by deciding to press charges. I think that many criminals become accustomed to people not reporting or following through with action to combat crime and therefore continue to rob and hurt people. It's people like you who take the time to press charges, give statements, and testify in court that really make a difference.

And, let me be the first to commend the fine work of our police officers!

[WhyFi]

I, too, am glad that you're pressing charges... now if only you'd tell us that you got in a good shot on one of 'em in the scuffle...
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...not that there's anything wrong with that.

[EasternPkwyQ]

I actually think I did. I remember trying to punch one of them (which she was not so happy about) and I do have a pretty swollen and bruised knuckle this morning...

[arches]

Argh, that sucks...I'm glad that you're pressing charges. Hopefully these losers will pay for their actions. Keep us posted.

As an aside, if it had happened just one day earlier (ok, one day and 30 minutes), the Brooklynian Midnight Bike gang could have come to your rescue on Eastern Parkway!

[armchair_warrior]

sorry that happen to you. glad they are caught too bad those asses aren't pressing charges.


i always believe in arm citizens. too bad nyc doesn't really allow the conceal guns like other states.

those all muggers i bet would be dead.
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[Whatchuwant]

EPQ- are you a guy or gal? Just curious to know if it was a girl just messing with girls or with guys they thought they could take.

Sucks, though- glad they got busted.
And for the record- I would NEVER say that you should've given up your stuff. Screw that, screw them, and I totally feel you on how angry you were at that moment.
_________________
"...you can choose the rain....but I choose the sun..." - N. Costa

[armchair_warrior]

[EasternPkwyQ]

I'm female. I know at least one of the other people they mugged was also female, but I don't know about the others.

I know Armchair Warrior's just trying to stir the pot, and I probably shouldn't take the bait, but as a committed anti-gun violence activist, I have to say even if concealed weapons were legal, there's no way in the world I would have had one or would have shot a 12, 17 and 19 year old. And a gun in the home is FAR more likely to be used against someone you know (by accident or in a suicide) than in self-defense.

[Mamacita]

Glad you're OK EPQ. I hope the law punishes these dumb-ass bitches.
Good for you for fighting back and pressing charges.
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(\__/)
(=’.'=)
(”)_(”) "Gentrifire Extinguisher"

[Flexichick]

EPQ, am also glad you're ok and glad you are pressing charges. As for whether to give them the stuff or not, I think you just have to trust your instincts.

I'll send some vibes your way too. Daver might live closer, but my vibes are strong
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Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball!

[flux]

Really glad your pressing charges!

[alafairnadia]

EPQ - you rule. just so you know.
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like a smoked meat with an earthy youth overnote

[vanilla]

about how old were the girls? i'm glad you gave them a good fight & even more glad to hear that you are o.k.

[EasternPkwyQ]

Thanks everyone for the kind words - it's really much appreciated. They were 12. 17 and 19. I overheard the cops saying that two of them may be sisters or half-sisters, so I suspect the 12-year old may have been related to one of the older ones and just tagging along.

[green]

My boyfriend and I were surprised by the Girl Muggers too--On Park Place, between Underhill and Washington, at 12:50 am, shortly before yourself....we got away, with bruises from being hit with a 4 foot wooden inch diameter rod. The girls ran off, as they were no match for my boyfriend, but what if I had been alone? We called 911, and as the police were coming to fill out a report with us, they drove by you--thank goodness. I'm so sorry that you were hurt, we tried to track the girls whereabouts and warn pedestrians.....

The police came to us after finding you and arresting the girls, as you were alreay pressing charges, they said my report was not necessary, but in retrospect I wish I had pressed charges as well, as it is the only way to have a public record for the neighborhood to know about.

I yelled, but with windows shut, and no AC on, people did not come to their windows. SOOO, folks from the neighborhood, and I, are talking about some kind of neighborhood watch---having police whistles, asking neighbors to call 911, come to help when they hear them...

Other ideas are welcome. How to make our neighborhood safer?
Mace and whistles? When do you fight back? When do you run?

I understand, that there have been several other incidents in the past few weeks--a bag of trash thown at a motorcylce on Park place by teens--throwing a woman from the bike, putting her in the hospital, and also car windows being broken, by teens as well.


Green

[Flexichick]

Green, glad you and the BF are ok.

Might be worth a shot to call the precinct and say you still want to press charges.
_________________
Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball!

[possibly_maybe]

I've been thinking about the whole neighborhood watch thing myself, though living in WT, I'm naturally more concerned with this area.

I've wondered, too, what can be done by us individuals. I'm often up late at night on weekdays (working) and weekends (geeking), and it kills me every time I hear or read about a break-in or mugging that happened the night before just a few blocks from here while I was awake. I mean, here I am, one of the handful of people in the area awake at 2am on a weekday, and there's shit going down so close, but I have no clue where or when, there's nothing I can do, but it's still happening and it shouldn't be.

Anyway, glad you & your bf made it away ok, Green. Realllllly makes me wish they'd chosen do to that the night before, about 30 minutes earlier, so the 10 of us doing the midnight ride right along EP could have done something.

[apollonia666]

Green, glad you're okay. I'm pretty sure it's not too late for you to call the precinct and insist on pressing charges, and the officers you spoke with shouldn't have talked you out of doing it. Maybe they didn't want to mess with the paperwork of multiple charges or something, but the more witnesses who can I.D. these girls the more chances there are the better.

[vanilla]

[Lemarseillais]

Every time I read posts like this I tell my wife " why is it that this type of stuff never happens to me?" because I can guarantee you that after an encounter of that sort, the authorities will finally take a step because one of us would be lying on the floor (either me or the perps)...
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"Never take sleeping pills and laxative on the same night"

[eterpay]

[daver]

#1 Picked up by Gowanus, two comments there describe similar incidents.

#2 Brownstoner has an entry title Enough With the Marauding Teenagers! which cites this thread. It describes some other similar incidents and has a crapload of comments.
_________________
"It's only as boring as you make it."

You're making me want to poke my eyes out with a spoon. Stop that.

Bringing the term thin-skinned to a whole new level!

[alafairnadia]

[Obamanut]

[Lemarseillais]

[raw]

Are you a dude or dudette? Do these chicks attack men?
_________________
I blame such comments on beer.
© karlthedruid 2007

[Whatchuwant]

[bogframe]

You have to file a report if you're mugged. Not doing so lets them get away with it, and that will only go to make them even more brazen about it!
As for Armchair Warrior...as much as I hate to agree with him, I lived in a small town in Norther CA for a while where every citizen over the age of 18 was required to carry a sidearm and know how to care for and use it. In the 15 years that law had been in effect, there had been no crime and no injuries. If you knew everyone was armed, would you mess with them?

[meganlibrarian]

Bogframe, was that a military town or something? I know that I'd have to be a conscientious objector to a rule like that: I don't like guns, don't ever plan on owning one and would strongly object to being told that I had to own one. That's just so weird!
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Windsor Terrace=>Park Slope=>Prospect Heights=>Park Slope.