$10,000 taken
A man carrying a bible with a zippered cover walked into the Commerce Bank branch at 2 Wall St. shortly before 7 p.m. Thurs. Oct. 5 and passed a teller a note that said, “HIV I need help $5,000,” police said. The teller handed over two wrapped stacks of $20 bills totaling $5,000 each, which the suspect put in the bible and then fled north on Broadway. The suspect was described as a black man about 50 years old, 5’10” wearing green pants, a green military-type jacket and a green hat with a yellow winged lion printed or embroidered on the front. A surveillance camera recorded his image and the case is under investigation.
Arrest robbery suspect
Police arrested a man charged with the gunpoint robbery of a clothing store at 23 Park Pl. at 2:15 p.m. Fri. Oct. 6.
The suspect entered the Park Pl. entrance of Broadway Generation, walked around for 15 minutes and exited via the rear Murray St. door, police said. A few minutes later he came back through the Murray St. door, pointed a gun at the floor, and told an employee, ”Look at it. Give me the money and put it in a bag.” The employee ran screaming, “This guy has a gun, call the police,” and the suspect fled. Police gave chase and arrested Devon Clarke, 39, on the A platform of the Chambers St. station. Police said they found a .38 caliber revolver with four loaded chambers on the suspect.
Soho burglary
A resident of 98 Thompson St. left his apartment to go to the store at 11:40 a.m. Mon. Oct. 9 and returned at 12:30 p.m. to find the door damaged and two laptops and a backpack with his checkbook inside had been stolen, police said.
Distraught and violent
Port Authority police struggled with a man whom they found screaming and banging his head against a pole shortly before 1 a.m. Sat. Oct. 7 in the World Trade Center PATH station. An emergency services officer and a police officer were injured before they were able to put a straight jacket on the 29-year-old, who kicked and flailed his fists before he was subdued and sent to Bellevue for observation.
Soho shoplifting
A security guard at Sephora, 555 Broadway, stopped a man who was trying to leave the shop without paying for a bottle of Giorgio Armani cologne valued at $130 at 7:20 p.m. Wed. Oct. 4, police said. The suspect fought and injured the guard’s hand before he was restrained, police said. The suspect, William Farkas, 35, was charged with assault, robbery and possession of three glassine bags of an unspecified controlled substance.
Tribeca car theft
A motorist from Short Hills, N.J. parked his 2002 Honda Accord at Hudson and Laight Sts. at 8:15 p.m. Wed. Oct. 4 and returned at 12:30 a.m. to find it had been stolen, police said.
Vendor robbed
A vendor at the flea market on Broadway and Howard St., who had put her bag under her chair on Friday afternoon Oct. 6 discovered at 6 p.m. that her wallet with credit cards had been lifted, police said. Unauthorized charges of $300 had been made on a card for MetroCard fares, police said.
Wallet stolen
An employee at a law office on the 52nd floor of 40 Wall St. discovered at 8 p.m. Mon. Oct. 9, that his wallet was missing, police said. He later reported that $500 in unauthorized charges had been made on a credit card and a debit card for MetroCard fares, police said.
— Albert Amateau
