Lucky miss
A man making deliveries at a film location on Mulberry St. near Prince St. around 1:30 p.m. Wed. March 2, had a narrow escape when a 20-ft. long steel beam fell from a construction site and went through the roof of his pickup truck. The victim, Mike Prisco, 29, was in the cab of the truck when the beam fell into the roof behind him, according to a New York Post item. Prisco was working for a Robert De Niro film that begins shooting later this month, the Post said.
Makes flowers grow
Mounted police on weekend patrol on Ludlow St. near Rivington St. to control the crowds of bar and club patrons are getting bad reviews from neighbors and, incidentally, from revelers, who have to negotiate around steaming piles of horse manure. The Times Sq. Business Improvement District picks up in the Theater District where horse cops are on regular patrol and the mounted unit brings a bucket on parade duty. But the problem is neglected on the Lower East Side horse patrol. A New York Post item on the problem on March 7 got a sympathetic response from Mayor Bloomberg, and a possible remedy from Department of Sanitation Commissioner Vito Turso who said that motorized litter patrols could be assigned to clean up the Lower East Side manure.
Copper pipe
Security guards at a construction site at 33 Vestry St. called police around 3:58 a.m. Sat., Feb. 26 when they spotted a man inside the location about to walk out with nine lengths of copper pipe with an estimated value of $500. Police arrested Brian Crawford, 41, who was carrying the pipe and was armed with a box cutter, police said.
Peddler wars
A police officer, who began to arrest an unlicensed peddler in front of 42 Howard St. at Mercer St. at 8:10 p.m. Fri. March 4, was injured when the suspect struggled against being handcuffed. The peddler, Ceesay Mahamadou, 45, was charged with assaulting the officer who sustained a bruised right hand and a wrenched lower back.
Soho robbery
A police officer who saw a victim chasing a suspect who had just robbed him, joined the chase and tackled the suspect on Thompson and Spring Sts. around 4:40 p.m. Thurs. March 3. Vaughn Brown, 19, was charged with snatching a cell phone from the victim who was talking on it while walking on Houston St. The victim tried to get his phone back but Brown turned on him and threatened to knife him, police said. Brown dropped his knife during his struggle with the arresting officer, police said.
Subway incidents
A woman, 41, told police she was coming up the stairs of the subway station on Broadway and Prince St. at 10:45 a.m. Tues. Feb. 22 when she felt a push from behind. She didn’t turn around to see who pushed her but she discovered a short time later that her wallet had been lifted from her bag.
A 13-year-old-boy told police a gang of kids confronted him on a northbound C Train at 3:10 p.m. Sat., Feb. 19 when one of them took off his belt and hit the victim with the buckle end and cut the victim’s face. The gang fled the train at Spring St. and Sixth Ave. and the injured boy was treated at New York Downtown Hospital.
Two suspects approached a 16-year-old victim in the Canal St. station of the A train at 1 p.m. Sat., March 5, took $20 and his school ID and fled on a northbound train, police said.
Orthodox Union hate mail
The Orthodox Union, 11 Broadway, the organization that certifies kosher food, received a threatening hate letter on Feb. 25, according to a New York Post item. The letter said in part. “When I escape from prison … I am going to blow all you [anti Jewish epithet] away,” a spokesperson said. The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the case.
Not funny
A comedian performing at the Dark Horse bar, 17 Murray St., on Thursday night Feb. 24 got into an argument after his last show with a woman patron who threw a beer bottle in his face and fled, police said. The victim sustained a broken cheekbone near his right eye and cuts that require 12 stitches, police said. His assailant was said to be a Pace University student.
A real S.O.B.
A Brooklyn man, 41, told police that his wallet was stolen from him while he was a patron of S.O.B., the Brazilian music venue at 200 Varick St. around 1 a.m. Sat., March 5. He learned later that an unauthorized charge of $338.17 had been made at S.O.B. a half-hour later while he was still in the club, police said.
A Brooklyn woman, 40 had her wallet stolen from her bag which she had hung on the back of her chair at the bar at Fanelli’s, 94 Prince St., around 8 p.m. Thurs., March 3. She learned later that an unauthorized charge had been made at the Apple Store, 103 Prince St. at 8:49 p.m. that evening.
Shoplift
A man who entered the Max Studio boutique, 426 W. Broadway between Spring and Prince Sts., around 7:15 p.m. Tues., Feb. 22 made off without paying for 13 items of clothing, police said. A woman employee chased him north on W. Broadway and west on Prince St. but he disappeared.
