Meatpacking club probe
Law enforcement officials are investigating Tenjune, the club at 26 Little West 12th St., in connection with the death of Nicole John, 17 — the daughter of the U.S. ambassador to Thailand — who fell to her death during the early hours of Fri., Aug. 27, from the 25th floor of a Herald Square residential building during an after-party. The victim, who was to enter Parsons The New School for Design in September, had been drinking at Tenjune before the after-party. According to reports, she used a fake Brazilian ID to enter Tenjune where she was illegally served alcohol. The Daily News reported that only U.S. state-issued and Canadian ID are valid legal proof of age at New York City hotspots, according to the State Liquor Authority.
‘Cat Lady’ arrest
A woman walked into the Cotelac boutique at 92 Greene St. in Soho at 2:15 p.m. Wed., Aug. 25, and whispered to an employee, “Listen closely. Give me the money from the cash register. I have a gun and the man across the street has a gun,” police said. But on learning that the register was computerized and contained no cash, the woman fled. Police arrested the suspect, Shana Spalding, 27, at the corner of Spring and Mercer Sts. The Cotelac employee identified Spalding, who was carrying a fake silver handgun, police said.
Spalding, who sings under the name of Purgatory with the death-metal band Divine Infamy, is also charged with several previous robberies in Manhattan and Queens where she wore various disguises, including a cat mask and a burqa.
Orchard St. burglar
Police are seeking a suspect in seven residential burglaries on Orchard St. between June 28 and Aug. 25.
On Mon., June 28, the suspect reportedly entered an apartment at 75 Orchard St. through an unlocked door at about 6:30 p.m. and took a cell phone and a wallet from the front hallway. A week later on July 5 he entered another apartment at 75 Orchard St. and took credit cards and a cell phone. He made unauthorized charges on credit cards from both apartments, police said.
On Tues., Aug. 10, the suspect entered an apartment at 95 Orchard St. and stole a cell phone, camera and an undetermined amount of cash. On Thurs., Aug. 12, he entered a 19 Orchard St. apartment and stole jewelry and a camera. The following day he climbed through the window of an apartment at 94 Orchard St. and stole a laptop computer.
The thief, described as a black male between 18 and 25 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing about 210 pounds, entered two apartments on Wed., Aug. 25, one at 78 Orchard St. where he took two laptop computers, a cell phone and an undetermined amount of cash. Later that day, he entered an apartment at 45 Orchard St. and took a laptop computer, police said.
Anyone with information should phone Crime Stoppers, at 800-577-TIPS (8477) or report it online at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or text to 274637 (CRIMES) and enter TIPS577.
Locker-thefts arrest
Police arrested Raymond Bird, 45, and charged him with burglary, grand larceny and possession of stolen property from fitness centers on W. 14th and on E. Fourth Sts. in July and August. Bird was arrested in connection with the Sat., Aug. 21, theft of a gold medallion pendant and a pair of D & G sunglasses from a locker in the New York Sports Club at 34 W. 14th St. He was found in possession of the stolen items, as well as a MetroCard stolen from another locker at the 14th St. center, police said.
Bird was also charged with the July 31 theft of an iPod and two wallets from lockers at the Dolphin Fitness Center at 94 E. Fourth St. In addition, he was charged with possession of a burglary tool, “a small nail file bent and curved…commonly used to facilitate theft…,” according to the complaint file by Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. The investigation also revealed that Bird was a Level 3 sex offender, convicted in July 2007, who failed to register his change of address with the state Division of Criminal Justice Services as required by law.
Sex-assault attempt
The attendant at a florist at 103 Mosco St., between Mulberry and Mott Sts., in Chinatown fought off a man who posed as a customer on Wednesday morning Aug. 25, grabbed her and threw her to the floor and attempted to sexually assault her, police said. The suspect, described as a black male in his 20’s, about 6 feet tall and weighing 160 pounds, wearing dark sneakers, knee-length blue jeans, a gray or tan sweatshirt with an “S” on the front and a light-colored shirt, fled on foot, police said. The victim was taken to Downtown Hospital for treatment. Information on the case may be reported to police by phone at 800-577-TIPS (8477) or online at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or by text to CRIMES and entering TIPS577.
Check swindler
Wayne Smith, 50, who was fired from the Museum of Chinese in America on Mulberry St. after he was identified as having stolen seven checks from the museum between October and December 2008 and cashing them for $11,535 at a Chase Bank branch, was arrested in August after a subsequent theft from the museum, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. In January 2009, the suspect broke into the museum and stole several blank checks and tried to cash them at the Chase branch, where suspicious personnel challenged the transaction, according to the complaint. Police caught up with Smith on Thurs., Aug. 19, and charged him with the January 2009 burglary.
Shady thieves
Police arrested Jacques Charles, 25, and Dave Caristil, 23, around 4:40 p.m. Tues., Aug. 24, and charged them with stealing several pairs of designer sunglasses from Solstice, the shop at 48 Ninth Ave. in the Gansevoort Market district. The suspects grabbed the glasses, tucked them into a foil-lined bag to avoid detection and fled, police said. An arresting officer found eight pairs of sunglasses in the phone booth where Charles was apprehended, one pair of glasses on Caristil and four pairs of glasses on the ground where Caristil dropped them, according to papers filed by Manhattan D.A. Vance.
Soho boutique lift
Police arrested Tyshawn Peek, 18, and Nurdeen Vanderpool, 16, around 5:40 p.m. Thurs., Aug. 26, and charged them with stealing sunglasses and cosmetics from the Ilori boutique, 138 Spring St. The two youths — along with two unapprehended accomplices who distracted shop employees — put the items in a bag and tried to walk out without paying, police said. They were stopped by employees who held them for police.
West Village bat bash
An assailant walked up to a Brooklyn man on the northeast corner of Bedford and Grove Sts. around 3:48 a.m. Sun., Aug. 29, and hit him over the head with a baseball bat and fled, police said. The victim was talking to the suspect’s girlfriend before the assault, police said.
Cracks pub window
A patron of Corner Bistro, 331 W. Fourth St., who was ejected from the place around 10:45 p.m. after an unruly argument, retaliated by throwing a trash can at the window and cracking it, police said. Andre Strishak, 47, was arrested and charged with criminal mischief.
Howard St. snatch
A woman, 25, visiting from Houston, Tex., was on the corner of Broadway and Howard St. around 8:15 p.m. Wed., Aug. 18, when a man grabbed her wrist and snatched two cell phones that she was holding in her other hand, police said. The thief fled and was last seen running west on Canal St.
Albert Amateau
