Fake cops in Soho
A Brooklyn man, 26, got out of a cab on Grand St. between West Broadway and Thompson St. at about 10:30 p.m. Sat., Oct. 20, when four strangers grabbed him, pushed him against a wall and flashed gold badges, police said. The four, described only as white males, told the victim he matched the description of someone they were looking for. They frisked him and took his cell phone and $100 just as he broke free and ran to where he worked on the block. The victim phoned 911 but the four fake policemen fled.
King St. holdup
Four women in their early 20s were walking on King St. between Varick St. and Sixth Ave. at about 1 a.m. Mon., Oct. 22, when they heard a voice behind them saying, “Hey girls, gimme your money,” police said. A man, described only as black and about 5 feet, 6 inches tall, holding a handgun, took $20 and a cell phone from one of the victims and fled, police said.
Catch ATM robber
Police on Saturday arrested James Palmer, 37, of Brooklyn, charging him with a series of gunpoint robberies at ATMs from the Lower East Side to Chelsea.
Police said that on Saturday morning Oct. 29, Palmer robbed a victim, 25, at a Chase Bank ATM at 109 Delancey St. near Essex St., before he was arrested later that day. According to police, he held up a woman, 41, at an ATM on Fifth Ave. at 33rd St. on Sun., Oct. 21, and on Tues., Oct. 23, held up a woman at a Citibank ATM at 22 W. 32nd St.; on Wed., Oct. 24, he held up a 25-year-old victim on 19th St. at Seventh Ave.; again, but without displaying a gun, he robbed a woman, 37, at a Chase ATM on Seventh Ave. at W. 24th St., at 5:30 p.m. Fri., Oct. 26.
Beauty heist
A man walked into a beauty salon at 120 Thompson St. at about 6:15 p.m. Thurs., Oct. 26, asked a woman employee, 23, if she had any makeup for sale and then pulled a gun from his waistband, police said. The gunman forced the employee to put money in a plastic bag, ordered her to lie on the floor and count to 100, and then fled with about $300, police said.
Cable box theft
A resident of 145 Spring St. between Wooster St. and West Broadway discovered on Friday afternoon Oct. 26 that someone had entered his apartment via the fire escape, taken a cable box that was on the windowsill and then fled the same way he came in, police said. The victim found his wife’s bag on the first-floor landing of the fire escape but nothing was missing from it, police said.
Wheelie dumb crook
A suspect charged with breaking into a boutique at 97 Wooster St. during the early hours of Sun., Oct. 21, was arrested at about 5:30 p.m. that evening when an investigating officer saw him riding past the store on a bicycle with a handbag and a guitar that had been stolen from the shop, police said. Simon Mendez, 44, was charged with burglary and grand larceny.
Coach robbed
Three men walked into the Coach Leather shop at 143 Prince St. near West Broadway at 7:30 p.m. Fri., Oct. 19, grabbed bags off the shelves and stuffed them into a large plaid plastic bag they had brought with them and fled, police said. A store employee phoned 911, but the thieves, who had taken bags with a total value of $4,148, were not apprehended.
Car gone
A man who parked his car at the curb on the northeast corner of Grove and Hudson Sts. at 9 a.m. Mon., Oct. 22, returned an hour later and found it had been stolen.
Bicycle thief
A man who locked his Surly bicycle to the scaffolding at 585 Broadway between Prince and Houston Sts., on Saturday evening Oct. 20 returned at 9 p.m. and found it had been stolen, police said. The bike was valued at $1,300, the man told police.
Wallets stolen
A man, 36, from California, was in a bar at 349 Broome St. during the early hours of Sat., Oct. 27, when he discovered his wallet missing from his jacket, which he had left on his chair when he went to pick up his drink at the bar, police said. Credit cards, a California driver’s license and his cell phone were stolen.
A patron of Chipotle Grill, 55 E. Eighth St., discovered at 4:30 p.m. Mon., Oct. 22, that someone had stolen his backpack, which he had placed at his feet in the bar area.
A patron of Half Pint, 76 W. Third St. at Thompson St., discovered at 11 p.m. Wed., Oct. 24, that someone had stolen his shoulder bag, which he had left on a windowsill.
A patron of The Manor, 73 Eighth Ave. just south of W. 14th St., noticed at 2 a.m. Tues., Oct. 23, that her wallet and bank cards had been removed from her bag. She learned two days later that unauthorized charges for gas had been made on her bankcard.
Assault arrest
Police charged Steve Joseph, 24, with assault and resisting arrest after a 1:50 a.m. Sun., Oct. 28, incident at Prince St. and Bowery. Joseph was among a group of men who attacked a man on a bicycle, police said. When police in a passing patrol car stopped him, he fought and injured one of the officers before he was subdued, police said.
-Albert Amateau
