Sex assault attempt
A man attempted to sexually assault an elderly woman on Norfolk St. behind P.S. 20 at about 4 a.m. Thurs. Nov. 20, police said. The suspect fled when people who were on the street at the time heard the victim shout and came to investigate, said Dep. Inspector Frank Dwyer, commanding officer of the Seventh Precinct. The suspect was described only as a male Hispanic in his 20s about 5’4” or 5’5” and weighing about 150 pounds. Dwyer said the incident was not part of a pattern or a trend. Police are asking anyone with information in the incident to phone the N.Y.P.D. Special Victims Unit at 212-860-6857.
Clayton Patterson, a Lower East Side photographer and gallery owner who lives on Essex St., a block away from the crime scene, has been working hard to bring attention to the incident and raise awareness of sexual assault and rape in the neighborhood. His efforts — including alerting Community Board 3 — ultimately resulted in police putting up posters on Norfolk St. on Sunday encouraging residents to report violent crime.
“You don’t always have to see the crime,” Patterson said. “You can see the person running from the scene and put the pieces together.”
Armed heist
Police are seeking three young men involved in the armed holdup of two jewelry stores on Canal St. in the past two weeks. The suspects walked into one of the stores at 271 Canal St. east of Broadway at 10:37 a.m. Sat., Nov. 15, police said. One of them pulled a revolver from his waistband and demanded jewelry but the trio fled without taking anything. They entered the second store at 185A Canal St. near Mott St. at 10:50 a.m. Fri, Feb. 21 where one of them pulled a gun and the other two shoved jewelry into their backpacks. Police said the armed man fired a round into the lock that had closed behind them in order to make their escape. Police did not say how much the jewelry was worth. They are asking anyone with information to phone 800 -577-TIPS (8477) or text to CRIMES (374637) and then TIPS577.
Arrest in gang assault
Police arrested one of three or four teenagers who punched and robbed a 15-year-old boy at 12:20 p.m. Wed., Nov. 19 at the corner of Sixth Ave. and Broome St. where a few high schools are located across from each other. Kevin Williams, 19, of E. 102nd St., was charged with second degree assault, robbery and possession of stolen property. The other suspects were not apprehended. Williams punched the victim, pulled his jacket over his head and fled with it before he was arrested, according to prosecutors. He was being held in lieu of bail pending a court appearance on Nov. 28, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.
Authorities did not say if the suspect or victim attended any of the nearby schools. The incident occurred near the Chelsea Vocational High School building. The Door drop-in center has its own school on Broome St. and the Dept. of Education also runs Unity High School in The Door.
Arrest in knife robbery
A Lower Manhattan resident was stopped in a Salvation Army thrift store at 220 E. 23rd St. at 11:30 a.m. Mon. Nov. 17 by an employee who noticed he was wearing a pair of jeans he had just tried on and was leaving the store without paying for them, police said.
Police say that when Angel Rivera, 40, a resident of Ann St., was confronted, he pulled a knife on the employee but police arrested him inside the shop. Rivera was charged with robbery, menacing and criminal possession of stolen property, a spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney said. Rivera was held pending a Dec. 1 court appearance.
Canal St. punch-up
Anthony High, 37, of Brooklyn, was arrested at 4:17 p.m. Sat. Nov. 23 in front of 378 Canal St. between Greene and Wooster Sts. and charged him with third degree assault for punching a victim, 48, three times in the face for no apparent reason, according to police. The suspect was held pending a Nov. 28 court appearance.
— Albert Amateau
