The NYPD said three mosques in the Northwest Bronx were robbed or broken into in March as millions of Muslims around the world began to observe the holy month of Ramadan. One of the mosques was robbed twice.

 

According to NYPD officials, the latest incident was reported on Monday, March 27, at the Bronx Muslim Center located at 2531 Davidson Avenue in Fordham Manor.

 

On Monday, April 3, a police source told Norwood News, “There were two burglaries at that location.” Regarding the incident on March 27, the official said, “An unknown individual entered the location through a rear door while the mosque was occupied and removed cash from the donation box.”

Regarding a March 15th robbery, the police source added, “An unknown individual entered the mosque through the front door and removed cash from the donation box.”

 

Police said that earlier in March, a first robbery involving a mosque was reported at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7, at The Abrar Masjid Mosque, located at 3016 Bailey Avenue between West 230th Street and Albany Crescent in Kingsbridge Heights. The police official said of that incident, “A 21-year-old male entered the front door of the location and broke into the donation box, removing approximately $600 cash.”

The suspect in that incident was captured on video surveillance and on Wednesday, March 22, police arrested Abdoulie Koma, 21, of East 180th Street in the West Farms section of the borough. Koma was charged with one count of burglary.

 

On Monday, April 1, a leader at the Bronx Muslim Center speaking on a condition of anonymity, recalled, “The first time the guy came during the daytime, and he left the door open without anybody knowing.” The leader of the center pointed to an unused entrance of a converted private home which is now the Bronx Muslim Center. He continued, “And at night he came inside and he took the box from here… and broke it.”

The mosque leader added that the suspect entered the mosque during prayer time and even spoke with the mosque’s Imam, before quickly leaving and returning later that night to steal the poor box.

 

Members of the Bronx Muslim Center, which has been present in the community since 2007, and currently boasts 150 members, explained how the wooden poor box was for donations at the start of the holy month of Ramadan. He said the money was to be used to help cover the cost of meals at the end of their Ramadan fast.

A second box stolen from the mosque was expected to go to members of the community.

 

As reported, Mayor Eric Adams joined members of the Bronx Bangladeshi Muslim community for an Iftar celebration at the group’s annual Interfaith Iftar dinner held at P.S. 106 in Parkchester on Saturday, April 1, and Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson joined a separate Iftar gathering with the north Bronx Muslim community at Curry & Kebab restaurant, located at 3111 Bainbridge Avenue in Norwood on Wednesday, March 29. Gibson held a separate boroughwide Iftar celebration on April 13.

 

As reported, the borough president, in conjunction with the Bronx Interfaith Council, will host a National Day of Prayer on May 4. See attached flier below for details.

 

Year-to-date burglaries in The Bronx are up compared to last year by 2.2 percent, according to NYPD statistics. Police continue to investigate both incidents.

 

*Síle Moloney contributed to this story.