Baslan
Authorities busted a Midwood couple Tuesday, claiming the duo was scheming to sexually abuse three children – one as young as two months old – at a Jersey City hotel.
Bebars Baslan, 35, and Kirsten Henry, 25, were nabbed at the hotel where they had arranged to meet an accomplice who would deliver an 8-year-old girl, a 1-year-old boy and a 2-month-old boy. But the accomplice was actually an FBI agent who recorded Baslan detailing plans to drug the children, molest them, and take sexually explicit photos.
The couple live on Ocean Parkway, near Avenue L.
According to reports, Baslan and Henry also planned to use references Henry had wracked up babysitting children and working in schools to get better access to children – until they could have their own child to molest.
Prosecutors say the two planned to open a baby-sitting service so they would have access to “many” children, and they discussed using Dramamine to dope the kids with a confidential source they thought would help them secure the kids to sexually exploit them.
Baslan: “Then, you know, just it knocks them out a little bit.”
Confidentail Source: “What do you mean?”
Baslan: “You know, Dramamine, the allergy medicine. It knocks you out, when you’re a kid.”
Prosecutors say they have audio recordings in which Baslan says Henry is “dying for this,” referring to a plan to have her sexually abuse “an 18-month-old child.”
Baslan: “She is dying for me to have a baby with her for us to whatever.”
Confidential Source: “The two of you together, to have your own kid and raise it in a sexual, like upbringing kind of thing?”
Baslan: “Right.”
The couple had a backpack containing a digital camera and laptop computer at the time of the arrest. If convicted, they face 30 years to life in prison. They pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual abuse on Wednesday.
We received the following press release from the Flatbush Shomrim:
In response to recent reports from local and federal law enforcement agencies that Identity Theft is at all time high in our community, Flatbush Shomrim has arranged a FREE on-site shredding event before Pesach.
The FREE shredding event is scheduled for this Sunday, March 17th from noon to 4pm, rain or shine. A LionCage Shredding truck will be parked across from HASC – 1221 East 14th Street between Ave. L and Locust Ave.
Organizers have advised that this free service is available for residence only and not for businesses. Limit 1-2 boxes/bags per family. Items to bring include old tax returns, expired IDs, credit cards, sensitive documents etc. Paper only. No metal, plastic or general trash. No need to remove paper clips or staples.
Many of you will have documents that you no longer need. That doesn’t mean you should throw them out in the regular trash. “Identity theft is real” explains Mark from LionCage Shredding. “Especially in this economy, a trash can is a gold mine for ID thieves.”
This event is endorsed by Flatbush Shomrim. “With identity thefts at an all time high, you cannot afford to miss this event” explains Chaim Deutsch. “Taking advantage of this free on-site shredding event is one more easy step to prevent yourself from becoming the next victim,” he warned.
A special thanks to Chaim Deutsch for arranging this free event.
For more information about LionCage Shredding for your business, please call 718.575.LION (5466) or visit them online at: www.LionCage.com
This event is not paid with taxpayer funds.
Traffic chaos on Ocean Avenue and Avenue M.
Recently, Mayor Bloomberg delivered his final “State of the City” address, which ended up serving as a cheery look back on all the accomplishments of the mayor’s career. The New York Times described it as “an unabashed and relentless tribute to his own municipal stewardship.” The Times thought it would be fitting to gather personal responses from readers on the “state of their blocks” to see if Bloomberg’s optimistic description of the city matched their own experiences.
While the results hardly matched the sunny picture Bloomberg painted, many were optimistic over the changes brought to Fort Greene, Washington Heights and Oakland Gardens in Queens. Closer to our area, Times reader “David” painted a grimmer picture, describing his block in Midwood in a harsh light:
Avenue L between Ocean Avenue and East 19th Street, Midwood, Brooklyn
The state of my block is unfortunately terrible. Since the peak of the market that brought me here in 2006 from Manhattan, the quality of life on this block in Brooklyn has only declined. Ocean Avenue is a raceway with little to no regard to the speed limit, or red lights; I have witnessed countless accidents. Avenue L is one of the few east/west two-way streets from Ocean Parkway, and therefore a thoroughfare of endless honking, radio blasting, and again little regard for the color and meaning of the traffic lights; only double-parked cars seem to slow down some. Real or ill-gotten handicapped placards show in every car window that disregards alternate-side parking rules, to ensure that the street is never cleaned properly, without threat of receiving a ticket; likewise, parking by a hydrant. Trash accumulates on the street and sidewalks, never to be cleaned by property owners, or the city. Graffiti is ever increasing despite the city program to curb it, as are illegally placed posters and handbills, the rules seemingly ignored and unenforced. Children over the age of 16 and adults careen on bicycles down the sidewalk without warning, especially at night, unseen until the last moment. Those sidewalks are never shoveled by most property owners when snow and ice make it treacherous to walk. That honking, it never ends, it seems obligatory, people honk to say “hi!” – David
I live nearby David’s haunts and I can personally vouch for every gripe he’s got. The sidewalks are littered with trash, dog crap and broken glass. The streets are filled with aggressive drivers, car accidents are a common occurrence, and honking is a major (and extremely annoying) problem — not to mention faulty car alarms getting set off during all hours of the night.
What’s the state of your block? Has it evolved for better or worse during Bloomberg’s reign and what do you attribute the problems to? We’d love to hear your feedback.
Scanner reports indicate that a driver in Midwood lost control of his car, swerved into a construction site, and plummeted 40 feet into a hole this morning.
Early reports indicate the accident occurred at approximately 9:45 a.m., at Coney Island Avenue and Avenue L. Initial reports said that a pedestrian was struck and two ambulances were called to the scene, but this has not yet been confirmed.
A later report said there were no serious injuries.
UPDATE: Reader Eddie B. just wrote in with some additional details and photos:
I was just over there as it happened. I was passing by on a motorcycle let and saw a dude I know sitting in the road so pulled over. He was on a bicycle riding toward coney island as a lady was pulling out of a hydrant spot into a u-turn and hit him. He said she hit the gas instead of the brake as it happened, with him on the hood of the car. He got thrown off and she continued, hitting a couple more cars and then broke through a construction zone where she plummeted down a 3-story hole landing the car upside down. She crawled out of the wreck and got taken away in an ambulance, in shock but uninjured. He had a back injury and got taken away by ambulance.
This is a breaking news story and may contain inaccuracies. We will update it as more information becomes available. If anyone has more information or additional photos, please send them to tips (at) sheepsheadbites (dot) com.
Photo by Erica Sherman
Hundreds crammed a Midwood street on Thursday to witness the renaming of East 17th Street and Avenue L as “Saul Bruckner Way,” in memory of the beloved founding principal of Edward R. Murrow High School.
The uncontained crowd, not only wanting to be a part of Brooklyn history, but to witness the hopes of thousands come to fruition, sprawled as far out as Bay Street and Chestnut Avenue near Avenue M to listen to current and former teachers and administrators, as well as area politicians, pay tribute to the educational visionary, whom Borough President Marty Markowitz called “The last of the educational Mohicans.”
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