May 28, 2021 By Ryan Songalia
Police busted an Astoria man during the early hours Wednesday who was breaking into an apartment building on 46th Street between 43rd and Skillman avenues.
John Petty, 53, was nabbed by police at around 2 a.m. while the burglary was in process. He was arrested by Officer Nakisha Pierre and charged with burglary and possession of a burglary tool.
Pierre was commended by the 108th Precinct, as well as NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea for the bust. Shea is familiar with the area, having grown up in Sunnyside.
The bust comes at a time when there has been a spike in burglaries in the precinct. For the 28-day period ending May 23, there were 20 burglaries reported, compared to 10 for the same period a year ago.
Just this week, the NYPD said it was looking for a man who recently broke into three ground floor apartments in Sunnyside and Woodside.
The number of burglaries reported across the city, however, has declined. During the 28-day period period ending May 23, they were down more than 20 percent compared to last year.
Great job, Officer Pierre!
⬇️ https://t.co/tZyiT265iB— Commissioner Shea (@NYPDShea) May 26, 2021