NYPD – Teleworld New York (47)

NEW YORK – A garbage truck robbery in a Brooklyn neighborhood left more than a dozen cars wrecked, some so badly they were inoperable.

Police said the incident occurred near 21st Drive and 21st Avenue in Bath Beach around 4:30 a.m. Thursday. That’s when Mario Casanova allegedly jumped behind the wheel of a truck and threatened the worker inside, stealing the heavy vehicle while he was on his morning rounds picking up trash.

Surveillance video captured some of the chaos, as Casanova allegedly drives away and crashes into about 18 parked cars, according to police.

It veered through Bensonhurst Park where it struck trees and utility poles, then clipped cars near the Belt Parkway. The driver hit more cars on the exit ramp before being arrested near exit 5 of the freeway.

Auto parts filled the Brooklyn neighborhood. The number of impacted vehicles continued to grow throughout the journey, with some people barely noticing the damage hours later.

“I park my car here all the time and all of a sudden I come back here and see my car from the side…I’m in shock,” said Michael Marino, who thought someone had moved his car.

Instead, he was struck by a truck with a 30-yard dumpster attached, which crushed and pushed his Cadillac into a fence.

“Thank God there was no one in the car. I just found it now. I have a son. God forbid anything happens,” he said.

Mizrob Bakhrov’s minivan, which he needs for work and for his son, is undrivable due to all the damage.

“I can’t drive. With two wheels behind it is not possible to drive,” Bakhrov said. “Today I don’t know where I can go to work. Because I need a car. My baby is sick now. I need to drive to the hospital. I’m going to call Uber.”

Casanova faces multiple charges including robbery and driving while intoxicated.

Attorney information was not immediately available.

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