Arrested on sexual assault
Police arrested a homeless man, Jamal McGriff, 22, on Fri. Dec. 2 in connection with the Nov. 22 robbery and knifepoint sexual assault of a woman clerk at a pet shop on Seventh Ave. at 15th St. McGriff was arrested at a men’s shelter in Brooklyn and identified at a police lineup by the victim and a witness, police said.
McGriff, who has a long history of arrests, the latest on Aug. 12 for petit larceny and possession of stolen property, was on parole at the time of the crime, according to police.
The suspect was said to have entered Spot, the shop at 78 Seventh Ave., and browsed for a long time before trying to make a purchase with a $50 bill. The clerk was unnerved and phoned another clerk, who came, helped complete the purchase and then left for an appointment, according to reports. The suspect then pulled a knife, forced the woman into a back room where he sexually attacked her and then fled after taking her iPod and rifling the cash register, according to the charges.
McGriff, whose fingerprints were on file, was identified by prints that were left at the pet shop, police said.
Domestic parking violence
A woman slashed her husband in the back with a knife at about 9:30 p.m. Monday Nov. 26 while he was looking for something in the trunk of his car parked on Broadway between Prince and Spring Sts., police said. When the man turned around to defend himself, she slashed again and cut his hands and arms, police said. The suspect, described as an Asian woman, fled and is being sought by detectives at the First Police Precinct.
Robbery abduction
Two men stole a car at gunpoint from a parking lot on Varick St. between Broome and Dominick Sts. on Thursday morning Nov. 23, took the attendant for a ride and released him in Queens, police said.
The robbers, described only as Hispanic, banged on the door of the attendant’s booth at about 7 a.m., barged in and punched the victim in the face. The intruders then demanded the keys to a BMW parked to the left of the booth, pulled handguns, forced the attendant into the car and drove off, police said. The attendant was not seriously injured, police said.
Robbed in South Village
A woman walking on Varick St. near Vandam St. at about 4:30 p.m. Sat. Nov. 26 was assaulted and robbed on the street, police said. The assailant, described only as a black woman, punched the victim in the face and took her handbag with $31 in cash and credit cards.
Robbery attempt
Three men approached a victim walking on Sixth Ave. at Vandam St. on Wednesday evening Nov. 23 and one of them demanded, “Give me your money or I will slice you,” police said. The robbers, described only as black men, fled after discovering the victim had no money, police said.
Hit at lounge
An unknown assailant struck a woman over the head with a bottle at Naked Lunch, a lounge at 17 Thompson St., during the early hours of Tues. Nov. 27, police said. The victim was taken to St. Vincent’s Hospital with lacerations of the back of her head.
Bags gone
A patron at Blimpie’s at 381 Canal St. at W. Broadway discovered her bag was missing when she went to leave at 5:30 p.m. Tues. Nov. 27, police said. Her wallet, with $50 in cash and credit cards, was lost with the bag,
A patron at Sbarro, at 415 Broadway, just south of Canal St. at Lispenard St. left her table for a few minutes at 2 p.m. Tues. Nov. 27 and returned to find her bag, which she had placed on the floor under her chair, was gone. Her wallet with $200 in cash and credit cards was lost with the bag, police said.
Car break-in
A motorist who parked his car on Mercer St. at Spring St. on Tuesday morning Nov. 27 returned at 11:15 a.m. and found the car had been broken into and a laptop computer and related items had been stolen, police said.
Village shoplifter
A woman was arrested at a Duane Reade store on W. 14th St. near University Pl. on Saturday afternoon Dec. 3 when a store security guard stopped her from leaving without paying for the merchandize. Police said the suspect, Magadalena Feris, 46, of Brooklyn, scratched the guard’s face during the incident. She is charged with robbery and criminal possession of stolen property.
Albert Amateau
