Hot wheels
Firefighters responding to a smoking taxi last Thursday afternoon between 14th and 15th Sts. on Broadway opened the hood and were greeted by a fireball that exploded in front of them. The firefighters ducked and avoided serious injury and put out the burning cab.
Fireman faces DWI
An auto accident at 5:42 a.m. Sat. May 15 on the FDR Dr. at 14th St. resulted in an off-duty firefighter being charged with driving while intoxicated, police said. The suspect, Michael Cooney, 26, was driving in the southbound lanes when he struck the rear end of a car in front of him, slightly injuring the driver and a passenger, police said.
Village bias assault
Police arrested a Brooklyn man at 10:20 p.m. Sat. May 15 on Seventh Ave. S. at Christopher St. and charged him with punching a man in the face in an anti-gay assault. Igor Llioukhov, 37, of Marine Park in Brooklyn, was charged with third-degree assault and second-degree aggravated harassment. The victim was treated at St. Vincent’s Hospital and released.
Baruch Houses search
Heavily armed law enforcement agents went through 80 Baruch Dr. in the Baruch Houses floor by floor at about 5:30 p.m. Thurs. May 13, according to residents of the complex who witnessed the event. “There were 10 police cars and two SWAT teams with assault rifles,” said Israel Perez, vice president of the Baruch Houses Tenants Association and one of the witnesses. “They went to every floor,” said Norma Ramirez, former Democratic district leader. A police spokesperson said there were no reports of an enforcement effort and no arrests at the time.
Crime-free festival
There were no arrests directly attributable to the Tribeca Film Festival, which occurred May 1-9, said Capt. Michael Hurley, commanding officer of the First Precinct. At last year’s film festival, one man was arrested on a weapons charge when a metal detector at an event revealed he was carrying a handgun.
First Precinct Council
The First Precinct Residential Community Council will meet at 7 p.m. Tues. May 25 at the Independence Plaza North community meeting room at 310 Greenwich St.
Hit Tribeca bank
A man who walked into the Commerce Bank branch at 25 Hudson St. near Duane St. at 1:30 p.m. Thurs. May 13 passed a note to a teller demanding money and fled with an undetermined amount of cash, police said. The robber was described only as a white man in his 30s.
