Posted to Crime on

Brick Lobbed Through Kingston Ave Storefront, Robbed

CROWN HEIGHTS [CHI] — Last night a Kingston Avenue bakery was vandalized by a known aggressive panhandler. A cinderblock was thrown through the front door of Gombos bakery at around 3:30am, and a number of pushkas were stolen.

Witnesses said that it was Yosef Hoffman, whose real name is Lawrence Hoffman, an aggressive panhandler that roams the streets of Crown Heights.

Police caught up with Hoffman this morning and arrested him for the burglary. It appeared that the burglar attempted to gain access to the cash drawer, but only making off with a few charity boxes.

Hoffman has been arrested a number of times in the neighborhood, most notably for shoving a person into Eastern Parkway traffic after he refused to give him money, as well as other times for accosting woman on the streets.

Related Articles:

Aggressive Panhandler Arrested, Admitted to Psyche Ward
Assault and Mugging on Eastern Parkway

Lawrence Hoffman, 30.

Related Articles

32 Comments

  • errr

    Please leave a clear picture of this guy so we know who to avoid.
    I feel sorry for thr bakery. My favorite place to get rugelach.

  • don-t give him money only perishable fod

    He is a drug addict as far as I know, you would be supporting his addiction and not helping him.

  • so crazy

    He is a danger to society..time to get him proper help and get him off the streets. Im sorry to the bakery… I hope he’s insured

  • CHT

    never ever have rochmonus on this guy when he asks for charity – I never did – not because of his wilderness – but because young man should be working or at least trying to get the job. My father was working than he was old and sick.

  • Lock him up and throw away the key.

    I still see people (usually visitors) giving him money on Kingston Ave.

  • HOFFMAN IS A CRACKHEAD

    PEOPLE NEED TO STOP GIVING HIM MONEY. WHEN PEOPLE GIVE HIM A NICKEL OR A QUARTER HE KEEPS COMING BACK. DONT GIVE HIM ANYTHING. NOT A SINGLE PENNY AND HE WILL THEN NOT COME BACK. HE IS A MENACE TO THE COMMUNITY. HE USES THE MONEY FOR DRUGS, NOT FOR FOOD.

  • cc

    we must all get those cameras.
    someone keep on top of this situation. We must see that he stays locked up, the community cannot have this, its irresponsible on the part of the police.

  • Sorry, but...

    Why is Gombos the only Store without gates and leave the lights on. Its invitting a robery.

  • mmmmm

    anyway to make requests from gombos’s?
    like I would really like those soft pastry- shaped like narrow sticks filled with chunks of apple. I bought them once, never saw them again. They were heaven!!!
    also can they PLEASEEEEEEE name with little labels what each thing is? Both with prices and names. There is nothing like anticipating a sweet cheese danish, only to come home and bite into a salty one cuz the danishes werent labeled properly.

  • we need help!!!!!

    there are numerous individuals who are roaming around crown heights fueling a drug habit and becoming more agressive in thier collection tactics. I believe this is where our local security and community organizations needs to work very aggressively both within and on the streets, please make this a priority, not one of these individuals should spend more then 5 minutes on our streets!!! however there is help and they should be able to have it!

  • Nice Store

    What a shame….
    the only store on kingston ave that looks nice and dont have the ugly steel bars

  • j.t.

    mabe,Just Mabe,if sameone has the heart to take him under there wing,he might just have a chance!
    the funny thing is ,just the day before i was thinking of taking him out for lunch and have a chat.i hope i do one day.
    44

  • Dave

    We get what we deserve for allowing this vicious criminal to freely roam our streets for so many years.

  • to #11 and 12

    while i do agree with you that gombos should have a gate there that does not give somebody the right to smash the windows just because the store is without gates.but yes you are right that having a store without gates is not a smart thing to do & yes the owner really should have gates there.

  • Inda Know

    His name IS Yoseph. He is the son of a Jewish man and woman married by Rabbi Dworkin (and since divorced). His mother was n’shmad R”L and tried to drag him in. He resisted. As far as giving him money to feed his drug habit, go figure for yourself. To give him food to feed his guf, or encouragement to feed his soul, this is a big mitzvah. A criminal? Maybe, but still a yiddishe neshoma.

  • LOVE GOMBOS!!

    gumbos is the MOST friendly shop in ch!! always with a smile and willing to help w/o an attitude! i just go in and buy something for my friend cuz i dont want to eat cake. only for the friday mone cake- they dont need a gate! i respect them for that! it looks nice and pleasant and nothing to steal in there. just an alarm w camras and signs warning

  • DG770

    This should serve as a lesson for our community never to give money to any of the beggars around here. They are all fake.
    There are plenty of organizations and schools in Crown Heights that could use tzeddakah money.

  • Yosef Selligson

    from YS
    I also agree that a person like this, should get good food and not money. It will give him sustenance, and not get him into trouble Bezrath Hashem. Hatzlocho Raba to all the good people in Crown Heights,and other neigborhoods Bezrath Hashem. Let’s work together for the good of the drug addict and the good and benefit of our Crown Heights members. My sympathy to Gombo’s Bakery, and I hope they will learn to have a fence on the store. I hope this bakery will experience only good times from now on Bezrath Hashem.

  • Uncle Mendel

    You know, it is very funny. If this guy lived in The Village or another city, or State, we would work with him, drug addiction and all.
    But if he lives here, the “Newness” or “Challenge” or whatever is absent, so he is disregarded.

    I don’t know what the answer is, just that no Yid should be flushed away. It just relieves our subliminal guilt of not knowing how do deal with a tough situation.
    The Rebba would know for sure. Wasn’t that one of The Rebba’s specialties? Difficult Yidden?

    Thanks for Shopping Arlans !!!

  • Just sad

    To all you Crown Heights commentators,
    You are all more pityful than this poor disturbed man!
    he is obviously mentally unstable from his drug addictions and he is in desperate need of help! What’s your excuse to talk like that about another Jew??? If it was your child with the addiction would you talk the same way?

  • i give him a quarter every now and than

    he wants money . he is in a low position. he needs Rachmanus, that makes him eligible for Tzdaka.
    dont forget we dont give Tzedaka because we “feel sorry” but because its a Mitzva

  • drugs

    This man is on drugs!
    He once asked me for tzedaka and someone who walked by said: “DONT GIVE HIM HE IS GETTING DRUGS WITH IT!”