POLICE BLOTTER

iPod muggings

Three robbers confronted a Manhattan man walking on the north side of Chambers St. between Greenwich St. and W. Broadway on Dec. 1 at 1 p.m. one of them said, “I’ll punch you in the face if you don’t give me your iPod,” according to police. The three robbers then surrounded the victim, went through his pockets and made off with the contents and the iPod, police said.

In another incident two days later, two suspects confronted a man walking on Chambers St. at W. Broadway at 9:30 a.m. Fri. Dec. 3, and demanded that he surrender his iPod, police said. The victim walked down the stairs to the No. 1 train subway platform, followed by the two suspects who pushed him against a wall, punched him several times, riffled his pockets and made off with the contents and the iPod, police said.

Police described the suspects in both crimes only as black men and did not say if they thought any committed both muggings.

Hold-up attempt

A 33-year-old Manhattan man walking on N. Moore St. near the corner of West St. at 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 24 was surprised by a tap on the back and he turned to face a robber holding a revolver and demanding, “Give me your money,” police said. The victim screamed and ran toward Greenwich St. and the suspect fled, police said.

Cars stolen

A man who parked his rental car at the corner of Varick and King Sts. on the morning of Nov. 19 returned at 2 p.m. to find it missing, police said. A man who parked his van near the corner of Broadway and Grand St. on Nov. 30 returned at 4:30 p.m. and found it missing.

Fulton robbery

A robber surprised a man at 11:30 p.m. Fri. Dec. 3 on Fulton St. between Broadway and Nassau St., struck the victim on the back of the head and knocked him to the sidewalk, police said. The suspect then punched the victim in the face, took his wallet from his back pants pocket and fled. The victim sustained lacerations to his face, police said.

Canal vendor attack

A food vendor on Canal St., near Thompson St., told police that another vendor started an argument about smoke coming from the food cart around 4:30 p.m. on Sat. Dec. 4. The victim said the attacker then punched him in the face, took $200 from his pocket and fled.

Bag snatcher

A woman from Queens told police she was walking on Varick St. near Charlton St. at about 3:30 p.m. Sun. Dec. 5, when a man came up to her, snatched the bag from her shoulder and threatened to kill her before fleeing with the bag.

Pearl theft

A woman who left her bag on the back of a chair at a restaurant at 589 Broadway, between Prince and W. Houston Sts., for a few minutes at 8:15 p.m. on Nov. 22 returned to find it missing, police said. The bag contained her pearl earrings and credit cards.

Subway fires

A string of electrical fires on the Sixth Ave. subway tracks near the West Fourth St. station in the Village shortly before 1 p.m. Wed. Dec. 1 sent heavy smoke surging through several stations, halting service on the B, D, F and V lines and causing delays for several hours on the A, C, and E lines as trains were rerouted. Five people were reported slightly injured.

More than 100 firefighters converged at W. Fourth St., where smoke was heaviest. Stations at Spring St., 14th St. and Broadway-Lafayette St. were also seriously affected. By 4 p.m. service was restored on the Sixth Ave. lines, but delays persisted.

Earlier on Wednesday, a subway train derailed near the Herald Sq. station, forcing the evacuation of about 60 passengers. The relationship between the derailment and the fires is still under investigation this week, according to a Transit spokesperson.

—Albert Amateau

WWW Downtown Express