Chain snatch death
Two men shot and killed a victim in front of 65 Columbia St. in the Baruch Houses at 12:20 a.m. Sat. July 10 after snatching a gold chain from his neck, police said.
The victim, Erik Cortes, 26, of Yonkers, was visiting his grandparents and friends who live in the Baruch Houses, according to neighbors. He was declared dead on arrival at Beth Israel Hospital. The suspects, described only as young black men, emerged from a car at the curb and shot him in the torso after grabbing the chain, witnesses said.
Israel Perez, a Baruch Houses tenant activist, said the shooting points out the need for more police presence in the development located between Houston and Delancey Sts from Columbia St. to F.D.R. Dr.
Third rail death
A man who fell from the uptown platform onto the tracks of the subway station at Spring and Lafayette Sts. at 8:25 p.m. Mon. July 12 came in contact with the third rail and died at the scene, police said. The identity of the victim, 41, was not released pending family notification. Police said no crime was suspected.
Bridge rescue
Two detectives from the 5th Precinct who noticed a woman walking distractedly on the Manhattan Bridge at 9:45 a.m. Thurs. July 8 grabbed her and pulled her to safety when she began climbing the railing, police said. The victim, 67, was taken to Bellevue in stable condition.
Canal St. crash
A cab and an SUV crashed on the westbound lanes of Canal St. at Greenwich St. at about 9:50 a.m. Tues. July 13, injuring both drivers. The cab was making a right turn onto Greenwich St. from the left lane of Canal and apparently failed to see the SUV coming from behind on right side. The right front of the cab smashed into the left front of the SUV. The cab driver was removed apparently unconscious from the cab to an emergency medical service ambulance and a woman passenger walked away unhurt. The SUV driver was also taken to the hospital and his passenger sustained minor injuries.
Love to hospital
Police took a distraught Courtney Love in handcuffs from her Soho apartment to Bellevue Hospital on Friday evening July 9 after they found her bleeding apparently from a miscarriage or abortion, according to news reports. Police said the handcuffs were used because Love was acting irrationally, according to the New York Post. Earlier that day, police had responded to a complaint that bottles were thrown into the street from Love’s fourth floor window but they left because they could not determine who had thrown the bottles, the report said.
— Albert Amateau
