Subway platform drama A man dressed in women’s clothes and a woman with a three-year-old girl confronted a woman victim waiting on a platform in the subway station at Broadway and John St. around 1:15 a.m. Thurs., Dec. 30, police said. The cross dresser said, “Why is this [woman] looking at me,” and started slapping the victim. The woman with the child said, “He’s crazy leave him alone,” but when the victim took out her cell phone to call the police the woman also began slapping the victim, police said. The cross-dresser grabbed the victim’s cell phone and fled along with the woman and the child, police said.
Upholds murder conviction An appeals court on Tues., Dec. 28 upheld the 2006 murder conviction of Rudy Fleming in the shooting death of Nicole duFresne, 28, an actress and writer, during a holdup at Rivington and Clinton Sts. in Jan. 2005 while she was walking home with friends. Fleming, serving a sentence of life in prison without parole, appealed last year claiming that he should have been declared mentally unfit for trial. The Appellate Division panel last week decided the trial and conviction were valid. “ There was extensive evidence the defendant, even if psychiatrically ill, … was deliberately feigning the type of symptoms that might suggest an inability to understand the proceedings and assist in his defense,” the decision said.
Men’s room encounter A patron of Iron Horse, located at 42 Cliff St., was washing his hands in the men’s room of the place around 11:03 a.m. Sun., Jan. 2 when a stranger got in front of him, put his hands on the victim’s waist and slowly backed him to the wall, police said. “You’re a good looking guy. I like you,” the stranger said, and slipped his hand to the victim’s back pocket, removed his wallet with $100 in cash and fled.
Knifepoint robbery A woman visiting from Washington, D.C. told police that she was walking on the northwest corner of Water and Broad Sts. in the Financial District around 10:50 p.m. Sat., Jan. 1 when she felt someone tug on the hood of her jacket, police said. The victim, 33, turned to find two men, one of them waving a knife in her face. “Give me your money or I’ll kill you,” the knife-wielder said. The victim gave up $50 and the two men fled a block south and disappeared around the corner of Moore St., a one-block lane between Water and Pearl Sts.
Dud grenade Police evacuated a six-story building at 106 Norfolk St. near Delancey St. for a short time Wednesday morning, Dec. 29 after someone on the fifth floor reported a hand grenade in an apartment. The grenade was deemed inert and residents were allowed to return to the six-story building after 45 minutes. There were no arrests in the incident.
Chrystie St. fire A fire broke out on the fourth floor of a six-story building at 187 Chrystie St. between Rivington and Stanton Sts. around 4:42 p.m. Wed., Dec. 29. Firefighters brought the fire, attributed to a space heater, under control at 5:09 p.m. A firefighter sustained minor injuries. The Box, a club next door, was not damaged and opened for business later that night.
Cabby takes bags A cab with two women passengers stopped in front of the Soho Grand Hotel at 310 W. Broadway around 10:30 p.m. Wed., Dec. 29 when the hotel bellman started unloading their luggage, police said. Before all the bags were out of the cab, the driver sped away north on W. Broadway. The lost luggage had shoes, clothes, two handbags, watches, a digital camera and perfume with a total estimated value of $5,320, police said.
Crowded street A Brooklyn woman, 24, told police she was doing some post-Christmas shopping in Soho around 8 p.m. on Tues., Dec. 28 when she felt someone in the crowd on the northeast corner of Broadway and Prince St. dig into her pocket. She checked to discover that her wallet with $400, a credit card and her driver’s license had been stolen.
Christmas punches A woman told police she was walking on State St. at Battery Pl. around 9:40 p.m. Christmas Day when four teenage girls descended on her, punched her in the face and managed to take a gold ring from her finger and $50 in cash from her pocket. The muggers fled north and disappeared into a subway station, the victim said.
Sleeping victim Transit police spotted a man with two accomplices going through the pockets of a sleeping 19-year-old man from Queens on an E train at Chambers St. around 1 a.m. Sat., Jan. 1. They arrested Jamal Broadie, 43; Andre Brown, 47 and Terry Lee, 56.
Meatpacking murder Nicholas Brooks, 24, arrested Thurs., Dec. 9 in connection with the death of Sylvie Cachay, 33, a swimwear designer found dead in a bathtub at Soho House, the exclusive hotel club in the Gansevoort Market District, was arraigned on Tues., Jan. 4, on a charge of second degree murder.
Brooks, of 60 Second Ave., checked into the hotel with the victim during the early hours of Dec. 9 and was arrested later that day after he returned to the hotel at 29 Ninth Ave. at 13th St. where the victim’s half-clothed body had been found with strangle marks on her neck in the overflowing tub. Cachay, a resident of W. 10th St. near Hudson, reportedly was breaking up with Brooks. The suspect is the son of Joseph Brooks, an Oscar-winning songwriter facing charges of raping 11 aspiring actresses. Nicholas Brooks was being held without bail pending a court appearance later this week.
— Albert Amateau
