Abuse suspect strikes Special Victims detectives have linked the Nov. 15, 2007 sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl on Walker St. in Tribeca to the abuse of another 12-year-old girl on Jan. 15, 2009 in a residential building on W. 15th St. in Chelsea.
In both cases the attacker forced the girl to touch him. Police released a surveillance photo of the possible suspect in Chelsea.
The suspect wanted in the year-old Tribeca case was described at the time as a white male, 30-35 years old, 6 ft. weighing about 130 pounds.
The Chelsea suspect was at first described as a light-skinned Hispanic just under 6 ft. with a Spanish accident, but police have since changed the description to a white male in his 20s or 30s, 6 ft. and weighing 190 lbs.
The crime has raised concerns Downtown, and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, whose district includes Chelsea, has sent out warnings to neighbors.
Kate Turley, principal of City & Country School on W. 13th St., has also sent out reminders to parents about making sure children who walk by themselves know to be aware of their surroundings.
Snatched laptop An Upper West Side resident told police he was walking on the south side of Charlton St. between Sixth Ave. and Varick St. around 7:30 p.m. Fri., Jan. 30 when a man came from behind, shoved him to the pavement and said “Don’t try anything.” The mugger grabbed the laptop computer that the victim had just bought for $2,558 at the Apple store on Prince St. and fled on foot to Sixth Ave. down to Vandam St. and ran west, police said.
Cabbie victimized A cab driver who picked up four women on E. 41st around 4 a.m. Sat., Jan. 31 dropped them off on Whitehall St. near the Staten Island Ferry terminal where they began arguing with him about the fare, police said. Four men in an SUV pulled up, hit the cabbie in the head and took $100 from him and drove off, police said. The cabbie went to Bellevue Hospital where he had 12 stitches in his scalp. The four women were photographed by a surveillance camera and arrested later, police said.
Gang arrests A Financial District resident was walking on the corner of Wall and Water Sts. around 3:15 a.m. Sat. Jan. 31 when four men jumped him and knocked him to the pavement where he struck his head, police said. The victim, 18, was taken to Bellevue where he was treated for a brain hemorrhage, police said. The three suspects, Sung Jin Kim, 18; Rodio Aronove, 20; Thomas Dore, 18 and Daniel Casanova, 19, were arrested and charged with gang assault.
Lurking in alley A man lurking in Theatre Alley jumped out and grabbed the bag of a woman walking on Ann St. at 7:45 p.m. Wed., Jan. 28, police said. The woman, 28, resisted but the suspect wrested the bag with a cell phone, a BlackBerry, credit cards, her driver’s license and $95, police said.
— Albert Amateau
