Seek child molester
Police are seeking a man who molested an eight-year-old girl in the Forsyth St. vicinity around 1:30 p.m. Thurs., July 29. The suspect, described as a white or Hispanic heavy-set man in his 20s, about 5’7” with short dark hair, wearing a T shirt with sleeves, blue jeans, white sneakers and a dark Yankees baseball cap, was carrying a blue backpack at the time of the incident. He followed the child into the lobby of her building, grabbed her from behind, fondled her over her clothes and fled, police said. Anyone with information should call crimestoppers at 800:577-TIPS (8477) or by logging on to www.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.com or texting to 2674637 and entering TIPS577. All calls are confidential.
Climbed a tree
The demonstrators for the preservation of community gardens who gathered in City Hall Park around 10 a.m. Mon., Aug. 2 included an enthusiastic woman, 41, who goes by the name of Sunflower Jill. She climbed a tree and a police emergency service unit got her down and charged her with reckless endangerment and obstructing governmental administration. The demonstrators were protesting new rules that would allow the city to sell gardens to developers.
Murder conviction
Michael Chin Lenahan, accused of the October 2007 killing of his girlfriend, Lorna Santiago, in the Confucius Plaza apartment that he shared with his grandmother, was found guilty of second degree murder in a non-jury trial Tues., Aug. 3. Lenahan, who was 29 at the time, had an argument with the victim, threw her against the wall in the bedroom, choked her to death and hid her body under a pile of clothes on Oct. 7. The body was found two days later by his elderly grandmother who was in the apartment at the time of the murder. Lenahan was arrested the next day. He is scheduled for sentencing Oct. 22 and is expected to receive life in prison.
South St. floater
Police responded to a call around 9:10 p.m. Mon., Aug. 2 about a person in the East River in the area of the South St. Seaport. The harbor unit pulled an unconscious man in his 50s from the water near Pier 11 south of the Seaport. The victim was declared dead by an Emergency Medical Service team at the scene. The medical examiner is investigating the cause of death.
Tying his shoe
A Brooklyn man, 20, bent down to tie his shoe at the southwest corner of Vandam and Varick Sts. at 12:52 p.m. Mon., Aug 2 when someone bumped him and stole his wallet from his back pocket, police said. The suspect fled east on Vandam, police said, and a surveillance camera in front of 155 Varick St. that was pointed in the direction of the incident was being examined for an image of the suspect. The victim’s credit cards, driver’s license, personal ID documents and $20 in cash were gone along with the wallet.
Self-inflicted
Fernando Torres, 62, who accidentally shot himself in the leg in his apartment at 110 Columbia St. in the Baruch Houses at 5 a.m. Sun., July 25, went to Bellevue Hospital for treatment but told police he had been shot while standing on Avenue B and E. Eighth St. in Tompkins Sq. Park, according to a complaint filed by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. After the accident, Torres, who has a previous criminal conviction, smashed his .38 caliber pistol with a hammer, put the pieces in a plastic bag and threw the bag in a trash can on First Ave. at E. Third St. while on his way to Bellevue in a livery cab, police said. He is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, reckless endangerment and falsely reporting a crime. Torres was released on bail pending an Oct. 27 court appearance.
Snatches iPad
A Morristown, N.J. woman was carrying her Apple iPad in her hand while walking past the southwest corner of Varick and Franklin Sts. when a man ran by, snatched the iPad from her and fled, police said.
Trying on clothes
A Swedish student of SUNY Maritime College left her bag outside a fitting room while shopping with a friend at the H & M store at 515 Broadway between Broome and Spring Sts. at 3:45 p.m. Thurs., July 29. The victim, 18, discovered the bag had been stolen a half hour later. She lost $50 in cash, credit cards, her cell phone, her college room key and her Swedish driver’s license but she was able to cancel the credit cards before any charges were racked up.
Flying bottle
An argument in the bar at Greenhouse, 150 Varick St. around 2:30 a.m. Wed., July 28 ended when bouncers arrested Shanell Bigley-Patrino, 23, for throwing a bottle and hitting a bystander on the head, police said. They held her until police arrived and charged her with third degree assault.
Counterfeit watches
Police arrested Buddha Bhikku, 41, for selling counterfeit Rolex watches on the northeast corner of Canal and Greene Sts at 11:45 a.m. Sat., July 31 and charged him with assaulting a police officer. The suspect swung his arms, kicked, knocked an arresting officer to the ground and wrestled with him, police said. Bhikku was charged with first and second degree assault on a police officer.
Not true believers
Police arrested three men around 6:50 p.m. Fri., July 30 for using fraudulent credit cards to buy shirts and jeans valued at $1,221 from the True Religion Brand Jeans boutique at 132 Prince St. Police apprehended Reginald Jones, 20, Jason Green, 24 and Travis Woodbury, 20, as they were about to flee the scene in a cab carrying the merchandise. Jones and Woodbury were charged with possession of stolen property. Green tried to ditch 24 envelopes of heroin in a rubber glove when he was arrested, police said.
— Albert Amateau
