Downtown watch heist
Two men who held up William Barthman Jewelers, 176 Broadway, on March 27 and made off with eight Rolex watches worth a total of $163,000 were arrested on Wed., April 23 when one of them, with another accomplice, held up a jewelry store at 40 W. 57th St. and stole 30 Breitling watches worth a total of $240,000, law enforcement officials said.
On March 27, Michael Crumm, 19, and Ralik Hansen, 22, walked into Barthman at the corner of Broadway and Maiden La., shortly after 5 p.m. armed with what appeared to be a handgun, according to the complaint filed with District Attorney Robert Morgenthau. Crumm smashed a display case, scooped up the watches and fled on foot with Hansen, a spokesperson for the D.A. said.
On April 23 Crumm and Anthony Pittman, 22, armed with a handgun, walked into the store at 40 W. 57th St. shortly after 5 p.m., according to the charges. Crumm smashed the display case, grabbed the watches and Pittman hit one of the employees on the head with the pistol, according to a spokesperson for the District Attorney. Crumm and Pittman were arrested soon after the incident and Hansen was arrested the following day. Warrant searches of Hansen’s and Pittman’s apartments in Brooklyn turned up several handguns, the spokesperson added.
The three were being held pending a bail hearing on Fri., May 2.
East River body
The decomposed body of an unidentified man was pulled from the East River around 7 a.m. Thurs., April 24, after a passerby spotted the victim floating near the South St. Seaport, police said.
Bank rob attempt
A man walked up to a teller’s window in the Chase Bank branch at 407 Broadway between Walker and Lispenard Sts. at 1:15 p.m. Sat., April 26 and passed him a note that said, “This is a robbery. Give me $10,000 or people will die,” police said. The teller refused and the suspect, described as a black man 5’10” tall weighing 200 pounds, fled empty handed.
Forced withdrawal
A woman visiting from Aurora, Ill. told police that a man came up behind her on Canal St., put what she thought was a gun in her back at 5:30 p.m. Sun., April 27 and demanded money. When the victim said she had none, the suspect said, “We’ll go and get some,” and forced her to a Citibank branch A.T.M. at 309 Canal St. to withdraw $500 from her account and give it to him, police said.
Heavy sleeper
A visitor from Bethesda, Md., told police he went to sleep in his room at the Cosmopolitan Hotel at 95 W. Broadway near Chambers St. around 1:30 a.m. Tues., April 29 and woke up later to discover that his pants with his belt, wallet, $60, camera and iPod had been stolen while he slept. The victim said he didn’t hear anything during the night and acknowledged that he had had three drinks in local bars before returning to the hotel.
Knifepoint robbery
Two men stopped a Manhattan woman, 20, at the corner of Spring and Wooster Sts. at 8:30 a.m. Sun., April 13, and one pulled a knife and said, “Give me the bag and the phone or I’ll cut you,” police said. They fled north on Wooster St. with the victim’s bag, wallet.
Soho muggers
A Brooklyn man, 61, was walking on Wooster St. between Broome and Spring Sts. around 5:30 p.m. Mon., April 7 when someone grabbed him around the neck from behind and an accomplice came from across the street and demanded, “Give me everything you have,” police said. The two suspects fled north to Spring St. with the victim’s wallet, $75 in cash, credit cards and ID. The victim, who didn’t report the incident until several hours later told police, “I didn’t know 911 was a free call.”
Gone from car
A woman who left her bag and her laptop in her friend’s car parked at the corner of Peck Slip and Pearl St. on Monday evening, April 28 returned to the car at 9 p.m. and found the computer and the bag with her wallet had been stolen.
Motorcycle theft
A man who parked his white 2007 Honda motorcycle under the FDR Dr. overpass at Wall and South Sts. at 3 p.m. Fri., April 11 returned to pick up at 6 p.m. Sun. April 13 and found it gone, police said.
–Albert Amateau
