POLICE BLOTTER, week of Oct. 15, 2015: (Posted Oct. 13, 2015 and updated Oct. 15, 2015)
Suspect targeting women on 1 train
It had appeared that the police was looking for two different men, but they confirmed Thursday that one suspect is targeting women on the 1 train. Last month, the man — early 40s, with a thin build and pock marks under both eyes — threatened to cut two women, stole money from both and punched one of his victims in the face on the 1 train in Lower Manhattan. Police have released a sketch.
The man is between 5’10” and 6’0,” police say.
This month, on Mon., Oct. 12 at 1:15 p.m., a 26-year-old woman was making the switch from an express train to a local at the Chambers St. stop in Tribeca, police say. She noticed a man on the platform with her before they both boarded a northbound 1 train.
Police say the man then approached her and asked for money. When the woman, who lives in the Financial District, protested and said, “I have no money,” the suspect demanded her wallet. He went through it and then handed her an empty wallet back. Police did not specify what he took. The man got off at Franklin St. and fled.
Almost a week earlier, at 8:45 a.m. on Tues., Oct. 6, a woman, who works in the Financial District and lives in Staten Island, was on a southbound 1 train at South Ferry when the suspect came up to her and said, “I need some money; I can cut you, you know.” The woman, 40, gave him $16, but that wasn’t enough for the thief who said, “I need more than this.” The woman handed over $20. He made her go to the next train car with her and then fled at Chambers St.
Teen mugged in B.P.C.
A teen was walking his dogs in Battery Park City when two men tried to steal his phone, pepper sprayed him and then fled on Citi Bikes, police say.
The teen, 15, was at the intersection of Warren St. and North End Ave. on Wed., Oct. 17 at 7:40 p.m. when the two men came up to him and asked to use his cellphone to make a call. The teen refused.
One of the two men took out pepper spray and then sprayed it in the teen’s face. They fled east on Warren St. on Citi Bikes, police say. Police did not release descriptions of the two suspects.
Canal jewelers robbed
On Sat., Oct. 10, two different attempts to steal jewelry from Canal St. stores failed, police say.
The first attempt was at 2:05 p.m. at Best Canal Jewelry at 325 Canal St. between Mercer and Greene Sts. A man and woman were shopping for two white metal rings — perhaps pretending it was for a wedding, although police didn’t say. A female employee, 55, was showing them her selections and turned around for one moment. When she turned back around, one of the rings, valued at $164, was gone. Police say the employee asked the couple to give the ring back and the pair became confrontational and tried to leave the store.
The employee told police the woman, 42, punched her in the face. The suspect and her partner, 33, were subsequently arrested. Police say the ring was found in the front pocket of the woman’s shorts.
The second incident was even more brazen. At 6:45 p.m. at LGS Jewelry at 316 Canal St. between Broadway and Church St., a man grabbed a yellow metal necklace, worth $1,800, from an employee’s hand and ran for it, police say. The male employee, 41, chased after him and eventually stopped the thief. The suspect then hit the employee in the face several times with a closed fist, police say. Police arrested the suspect and the necklace was recovered.
Samaritans nab suspect
Score one for the good Samaritans.
On Wed., Oct. 17 at 6:15 p.m. in the Financial District, a 55-year-old Staten Island resident, was waiting for a ferry at the terminal with her bookbag next to her. Two men, both 18, worked together to steal her bag, police say. One asked her for directions while the other snatched her backpack.
One of the two suspects then fled on a skateboard on Whitehall St., but was stopped by good Samaritans — who were never identified. The helpful witnesses returned the bookbag to the woman. Both suspects were arrested.
Unjust desserts
Is it possible to steal over $1,300 worth of ice cream? Apparently, yes, as a team of five stole the pints from a Duane Reade at 305 Broadway in Tribeca, police say.
On Fri., Oct. 9 at around 4:50 p.m., a female employee, 26, told police that the five stole out of the store’s freezers six Delish 16-ounce ice creams, valued at $24, and $1,286 worth of Haagen Dazs 14-ounce tubs, police say. The employee told police one of the five was a man, but there were no descriptions of his accomplices.
— DUSICA SUE MALESEVIC
