BLOTTER: Police reports published Feb. 9

Staff Reports

NIAGARA FALLS

Man shot in alley

A 19-year-old city man told police he was shot in the hand while walking in an alley about 3:30 p.m. Monday.

The man said he was in the alley, in the 400 block between Eighth and Ninth streets when he heard a loud noise and turned around to see two men standing behind him. He then heard two more noises, which he thought were gunshots, and noticed his middle finger on his left hand had been grazed by a bullet. He then ran to the hospital.

Officers could find no sign of the shooting. They noted there were also reports of gunshots in the 1300 block of Ashland Avenue about the same time.

Two men charged for attempted break-in

Falls police caught two teens trying to break into a home on the 2400 block of Woodlawn Avenue about 8:30 a.m. Monday after a witness spotted the pair acting suspiciously.

The witness said she noticed the two teens lingering behind the home and then called police when she saw one of them attempt to enter a window. Police caught up with the two men soon after arriving on the scene.

Jamell T. Chapman, 18, 1604 Niagara Ave., Apt. 5, and Paris J. McCrimmon, 17, 1815 Ontario Ave., were charged with second-degree attempted burglary, fourth-degree criminal mischief and third-degree criminal trespassing, the report said.

‘Fare’ cost for ride

A 28-year-old Packard Court man told police Monday that on Friday he called a North Tonawanda woman over to drive him to his mother’s house and she took several items from him.

Once at their destination, the man said he ran inside for a moment and when he came back outside, the woman was gone. The man told police his jacket, wallet, a cell phone and a PlayStation 3 gaming system were still in the car.

The man said he’s tried to call the woman, but she’s had her cell phone number changed.

Veteran assaulted in city alley

Falls police were called to Memorial Medical Center Monday by a 53-year-old city man who said he was attacked in the 400 block alley between Fourth and Fifth streets on Saturday.

The man said he was walking when he was shoved hard from behind. He fell straight forward and hit his face on the ice. He told police he thinks he was unconscious for about 15 minutes. When he awoke, his wallet containing $250, his Veterans Affairs card, a picture of his dead wife and social security card, was gone.

The man said he tried to “shake off” his injuries but the pain got worse.

Niagara Falls

• INCIDENT: Staff at Community Missions, 1570 Buffalo Ave., reported to police Monday that a man acting as a staff agent was collecting rent from someone renting an apartment on Portage Road from January 2008 through September 2009 and hadn’t ever turned in the $210 collected per month. The total amount collected was $3,741.

• INCIDENT: Police were called to the area of 11th Street and Cleveland Avenue about 6:15 p.m. Monday for a report of a woman lying in the road. Officers helped the 47-year-old city woman up and she told them she was very intoxicated and didn’t know where she was. The woman was taken to Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center where officers noted she had to be taken in by wheelchair because she was too intoxicated to walk.

• BURGLARY: A South Wales woman called police Monday after finding a home under construction on the 2900 block of 23rd Street had been broken into. Several tools, copper fittings and 20 sheets of drywall were taken. The woman said a few days ago a well-dressed man and a poorly dressed man approached her and the well-dressed man wanted her to hire the poorly-dressed man to watch the property because “this is a bad neighborhood.” The woman declined the offer. The estimated loss is $610.

• BURGLARY: The owner of a home on the 500 block of Fifth Street told police Monday that sometime between Thursday and Sunday someone broke into the home and took about $500 in copper piping.

• BURGLARY: The real estate agent for two properties on the 500 block of Third Street told police that sometime Sunday night someone broke into them. In one case, the agent said a window was broken to gain entry but nothing was taken as all the copper piping had been stolen in an earlier burglary.

Cambria

• FRAUD: A North Ridge Road, Lockport woman told deputies Saturday an unknown person opened a savings account in her name at the Bank of America in Newfane, according to a report.

• DRUGS: Joseph A. Grasso, 19, of Wilson-Cambria Road, Wilson was charged with two counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, class A misdemeanors. The suspect was reportedly stopped on 10:32 p.m. on Ridge Road for speeding and was found to be in possession of a Fentanyl patch, Valium pills and Xanax pills. Grasso was issued an appearance ticket returnable to the Town of Cambria Court 2:30 p.m. on March 2.

City of Tonawanda

• IMPERSONATION: Brandon C. Walp, 25, 3990 Irish Road, Wilson, was arrested Sunday for criminal impersonation and false personation following a traffic stop. Police say Walp tried hide his identity because of an active warrant in Amherst. He was turned over to Amherst police and is being held here in lieu of $500 bail.