SIXTH PRECINCT
Village murder
A Village man was fatally shot inside his apartment at 110 Bedford St. on Sun., Dec. 31, around 4:56 p.m., police said.
Police responding to a 911 call of a person shot went to Apartment 5A and found Jonathan Berlin, 62, with a gunshot wound to the stomach.
EMS responded and transported the victim to Lenox Hill Hospital where he was pronounced dead. There are no arrests and the investigation is ongoing.
Police are reportedly investigating whether the slaying was drug related.
Gothamist reported that the victim’s wife was in the apartment at the time of the shooting, and that drug paraphernalia, including scales and pot, were found on the scene.
A source told The Villager that Berlin lived there more than 20 years and was Israeli born, but this was not confirmed by press time. Cops reportedly entered the building with hammers and a pickaxe.
One neighbor was away when the incident occurred, and her roommate returned later on Dec. 31.
“This is the first building I’ve lived in without a doorman,” the roommate said, noting her parents’ concern when she moved in about living in a non-doorman building.
Crackdown
A man and woman, both 24, were arrested Sun., Dec. 30, for allegedly shoplifting at a West Village Gristedes, at 3 Sheridan Square. Police found the woman to be in possession of two crack pipes and a “push rod” with alleged crack/cocaine residue. She also had an active warrant. Police said the shoplifters stole three cans of Lysol, whipped chocolate mousse, pumpkin-flavored yogurts and a chocolate milk.
Outnumbered
Six hoodlums allegedly dragged a 45-year-old Queens man from his car and beat him up on Christmas Day around 8:30 p.m. on the northwest corner of Laguardia Place and Bleecker St. When the victim tried to call 911, one grabbed his cell phone and ran off, according to police. That evening, police arrested two teenage boys, 14 and 17 years old.
The man was reportedly in his car when he got into a verbal dispute with six males, two of whom were teens. The other attackers’ ages are unknown.
The six toughs broke the man’s right rear-view mirror, dragged him from his car and scraped up his left ear.
FIRST PRECINCT
Nikes nabbed
A man stole three pairs of Nike Air Force 1’s from a 17-year-old, threatening him by saying, “I have a gun,” according to police. On Wed., Dec. 19, just after 7 p.m., the teen left a store with three pairs of shoes totaling $775.
The alleged robber walked up to him and asked to buy the flashy footwear, but then instead, swiped the shoes, pushed the teen, and said he had a gun. The perp fled on foot eastbound on Howard St. and then northbound on Broadway, according to police.
The robber was last seen wearing gray jeans, a black jacket, a red hat and black sneakers.
Spring St. burglary
A burglar busted down the front door at a 36-year-old woman’s apartment at 300 Spring St. on Mon., Dec. 17, robbing her of $8,375 in property while she was at work, police said.
The woman had a motion-sensing camera in her home, which snapped a photo of the robber there around 11:15 a.m. that Monday. The thief stole an Apple Macbook Air, Apple watch, Ralph Lauren Ricky and Oliver Peoples Sunglasses, a Kindle and fine jewelry, including a Hermes bracelet and David Yurman diamonds.
10th PRECINCT Samsung swipe A man allegedly stole a Samsung Galaxy J7 from a Verizon store at 48 Ninth Ave. He reportedly ripped the smartphone from its cord from the display around 6 p.m. on Thurs., Dec. 27, according to police. A store employee told the thief, “Really, are you serious?” to which he replied “Yes, I’m f—ing serious!” and then ran off southbound on Ninth Ave. toward 14th St. No arrests have been made. The suspect is described as 5-feet, 8-inches tall, 165 pounds and 23 years old. He was last seen wearing blue jeans and black sneakers. Batteries bust Police arrested Brandon Bullock, 29, for allegedly stealing more than $400 in batteries from the Rite Aid at 282 Eighth Ave. around 6 p.m. last Thurs., Dec. 27. The suspect went into the Rite Aid, filled a shopping bag with batteries and walked out, according to the police report. An employee stopped the shoplifter and called police, who arrested him that night. Bolt cutters Police arrested Rashawn Gray, 21, for allegedly exiting a subway station through the emergency exit gate without permission on the northeast corner of Eighth Ave. and W. 23rd St. Police said the man had bolt cutters — what police called “burglar tools” — and couldn’t explain why he was carrying them on the train on Fri., Dec. 28 around 3:45 p.m. The suspect had a previous run-in with police for theft and is involved with a criminal group called LRG Crew, according to police. Firearms theft Police are searching for someone who broke into a Federal Bureau of Investigation employee’s car on the southwest corner of Tenth Ave. and W. 15th St. and stole three Glock handguns and 150 rounds of ammunition, as well as a backpack, eye and ear protection, a Streamlight flashlight, two cellphone mounts and two cellphone chargers. The F.B.I. employee parked his car in Chelsea around 3 p.m. Fri., Dec. 28. When he returned to the vehicle around 10 p.m., the rear driver’s-side window was broken and the guns gone. Not fare A man in Hell’s Kitchen ran off without paying a $48.36 cab fare on Fri., Dec. 28, around 7:30 p.m. A 30-year-old cabbie picked up the man from LaGuardia Airport on Friday and brought him to 455 W. 34th St. When the hack helped the man get his luggage out of the trunk, the fare ran into the building, got on an elevator and went to an unknown floor, according to the police report. The doorman at the building told police the guy lives in the building, but he did not know his name. Early a.m. punch Police are searching for a man who allegedly hit a 26-year-old woman in the face, cutting open her left check on the southeast corner of Tenth Ave. and W. 17th St. on Sat., Dec. 29 at 3:45 a.m. The two were strangers to each other, according to the police report. After hitting her in the face, the man fled southbound on foot on 10th Ave. and then eastbound on W. 16th St. The woman was treated at Lenox Health Greenwich Village in its emergency department. The attacker was described as black, 5-feet-8-inches tall, 150 pounds and around age 25, according to police. Solo sesh Martin Mardel, 29, was caught pleasuring himself on the roof of a building at 420 W. 19th St. last Sat., Dec. 29, around 4:20 p.m., police said. Mardel was seen on the rooftop landing, pants and underwear down, masturbating in the building, plus allegedly trespassed. Mardel told police he doesn’t live there but was visiting someone and did not know the apartment number. Police arrested him at the site for criminal trespassing. They also reportedly found him a small bag of marijuana and an alleged oxycodone pill in his coat.
— Sydney Pereira and Tequila Minsky
