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🌱 Patch AM: Brooklyn Men Staged Crashes On NYC Highways, Prosecutors Say

Be sure to catch Stoops, Sirens And Stickball: Sunset Park on the Brooklyn Patch calendar

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Good day Brooklyn! We're here again with what you need to know today. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • Brooklyn men jailed for elaborate staged crash insurance scam
  • Is your Brooklyn ZIP code in Monday's West Nile spraying zone?
  • How a Brooklyn volunteer ambulance finally secured its forever home

Also on today's calendar: Stoops, Sirens And Stickball: Sunset Park and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: What has a neck but no head? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Saturday: Mostly cloudy and less humid, with a high of 80 and low of 70 degrees.
  • Sunday: Partly sunny and humid, temps: high: 84, low: 74.
  • Monday: Warm; a p.m. shower or two, with a high of 87 and low of 74 degrees. 🌶 Hot!

📰 News we're reading

1. Brooklyn Men Staged Crashes On NYC Highways, Prosecutors Say (patch.com) — Brooklyn residents Jaime Huiracocha and Victor Murillo have been sentenced to prison for organizing staged crashes on the Belt Parkway and Nassau Expressway to collect fraudulent insurance payouts. Prosecutors say the men recruited participants, directed them to specific medical clinics, and used tactics like sudden braking and reversing into cars, with dashcam footage helping expose the scheme. The case highlights New York's recent reforms targeting staged crashes and insurance fraud involving Brooklyn drivers.
   

2. City to spray for West Nile mosquitoes in western Brooklyn on Monday (brooklyneagle.com) — The NYC Health Department will spray for West Nile virus mosquitoes in several western Brooklyn ZIP codes on Monday night, using truck-based applications between 8:30 p.m. and 6 a.m. Residents in affected areas are urged to stay indoors if sensitive, close A/C vents, cover outdoor toys, and reduce standing water to lower mosquito risks.
   

3. Bed-Stuy Volunteer Ambulance Corps takes permanent ownership of longtime headquarters • Brooklyn Paper (brooklynpaper.com) — Bed-Stuy's volunteer ambulance corps now permanently owns its Greene Avenue headquarters after New York City transferred three lots to the group, securing its future in Central Brooklyn. The deal, backed by state funding, paves the way for an expanded facility and more community health, training, and youth programs serving thousands of local residents each year.
   

4. Thieves break into several Brooklyn restaurants overnight (abc7ny.com) — Several Bay Ridge restaurants on Third Avenue were burglarized early Friday, with thieves breaking into safes and prompting an NYPD alert urging Brooklyn businesses to tighten security. Police believe three suspects are involved, while local owners are rethinking how they store cash and support each other during an already tough time for restaurants.
   

5. Battle of Brooklyn 250th Anniversary Spawns Battlefield App (newyorkalmanack.com) — Brooklyn history buffs can now explore the Battle of Brooklyn and other Revolutionary War sites through a new free Liberty Trail New York app and web tour. The project, tied to the battle's 250th anniversary, offers self-guided multimedia tours across New York, including Brooklyn Heights, and will keep expanding with additional content and episodes of the Trust's history quiz show.
   

📸 Around Brooklyn

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Jackson is settling into his new home !
    They went to PetCO and bought him so much stuff ! Congrats Jackson to your new start at life and forever home. (Nextdoor Bergen Beach (Ave M-72St))
  • I'm seeking a female, non-smoker, neat and clean roommate to share my wonderful two bedroom furnished apartment, located in beautiful Cobble Hill Brooklyn.
    I'm looking for a considerate roommate who takes pride in keeping a shared home comfortable, clean, and welcoming. I'd love to live with someone warm… (Nextdoor Cobble Hill)
  • The Facilities Group posted a job opening for Part-Time Night General Cleaner in Brooklyn. Apply here.
  • Touro University posted a job opening for Academic Advisor in Brooklyn. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Brooklyn here.

Ok Brooklyn! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: A bottle (Thank you Netty W. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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