Five long days, yet still no car

It was a surprising return for one woman who hadn’t seen her car for a while.

She had parked her 2017 Toyota RAV-4 on the 2800 block of Claflin Avenue near the Jerome Park Reservoir for five days, beginning Sept. 5. When she returned, the car was quite a bit different, according to police — both front windows were smashed, and the front driver-side tire had been slashed.

Nothing had been taken from inside the car, but the damage to her SUV was worth more than $250, police said. Neighbors said they hadn’t noticed damage to the vehicle before Sept. 10, but there were no witnesses and no cameras to catch the person who decided the car needed an unwanted makeover.

No phone, no ID cards, no service

A woman walking along Van Cortlandt Park South had a nasty encounter with two young men that she hopes to never have to experience again.

The men flashed what appeared to be a weapon, police said, although the victim wasn’t quite sure what it was. They took her Samsung cell phone and her personal and work ID cards, along with a debit card. The victim listed the stolen property at about $560.

Police were called after the two men ran off in the Sept. 7 incident, but didn’t turn anything up during a search of the area.

The case remains open.

High-speed tragedy

A motorcycle rider reportedly traveling at a high speed along Henry Hudson Parkway South lost control of his bike and crashed into the right guardrail Sept. 6.

The driver was ejected from the bike, police said, and sustained severe head trauma on the pavement, dying on the scene.

The motorcycle continued on even without its rider, sideswiping another vehicle on the road before hitting another car, which was parked and empty on a service road near West 249th Street.

Although the officers from the 50th Precinct helped at the scene, the state’s highway patrol is investigating.

The motorcyclist’s identity was not released.

Not such a nice stroll

On a walk out in broad daylight, there should have been no reason for a 75-year-old woman to fear her safety. But on the morning of Sept. 15, that all changed.

The woman was walking on Johnson Avenue when police say she was approached by a man who tried to grab her bag. When she wouldn’t let go, he shoved the elderly woman to the ground and forced the bag from her before running away.

The woman suffered minor injuries, police said, and lost thousands of dollars in stolen goods — including a Louis Vuitton purse, a MetroCard and cell phone, two pairs of sunglasses, and a wallet.

There were cameras nearby, but police have not been able to access the footage. The 50th Precinct’s detective squad is investigating.

A steep discount

Even the most basic motorcycle can cost you somewhere in the neighborhood of $5,000 to $10,000. It’s a good chunk of change, and even a used bike in good shape isn’t much cheaper.

For one person, though, there was a shortcut to all that: a Ducati parked on the 5800 block of Fieldston Road.

The owner had parked the motorcycle, which he said was worth about $27,000, on the evening of Sept. 14. The next morning, around 9, it was gone.

The owner called the police, who searched the area but didn’t find any sign of the expensive vehicle. Sadly, there were no cameras nearby to catch the speedy theft.

Twice as nice

Having a car is convenient, but in heavily clogged city streets, a bike can be twice as nice. A motorized bike, that is.

At least that’s what someone thought when they came upon a black Honda motorcycle parked on Naples Terrace. It had only been there for about 12 hours, police said, starting at around dinnertime Sept. 14.

Early the next morning, the owner returned to find the motorcycle gone. No sign of the motorcycle or the thief could be found, police said, and there were no cameras or witnesses.

Investigators valued the motorcycle at about $13,000.