Avenue D slashing
Police arrested Abdul Garcia, 27, of 571 F.D.R. Drive in the Baruch Houses on Sun., March 29, and charged him with robbery and assault in connection with a March 15 attack on a victim at 11:20 p.m. at the corner of Avenue D and E. Sixth St. Garcia, one of a gang of 10 robbers who took a gold chain from the victim, turned and slashed the victim on the arm after the theft, according to the charges. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment two weeks later, and was being held for trial.
‘I’m taking your iPhone’
Sixth Precinct detectives arrested Edward Beam, 21, on Sat., April 4, and charged him with robbing cell phones from two women on separate occasions in the Village. Shortly before 1 a.m. Wed., March 25, the suspect approached a woman from behind, shoved her roughly into the vestibule of 95 Perry St., demanded her cell phone and walked off with it, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
At about 1:30 a.m. Sun., March 29, the same suspect approached a woman from behind on the northwest corner of Bedford and Carmine Sts., put his hand over her mouth and said, “I’m taking your iPhone. Don’t worry,” police said. After the suspect walked away with the cell phone, the victim, 29, turned and saw him walking with an accomplice who was carrying her phone, according to the charges.
Beam was being held in lieu of $10,000 bail after his arraignment on April 5.
Meatpacking punch
A Montvale, N.J., man was drinking in a bar at 1 Little West 12th St. in the Meatpacking District at about 12:30 a.m. Sun., March 29, when a stranger came up to him and punched him in the eye, police said. Kenneth Nies, 29, was arrested for the offense and charged with third-degree assault.
Got a smoke?
Kenneth Melton, 39, of Lancaster, Pa., was arrested around midnight Thurs., April 2, outside of the Internet cafe at 24 Eldridge St. south of Canal St. and charged with third-degree assault, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Melton asked a man who was smoking in front of the cafe for a cigarette, but was refused. He then asked the man for a dollar, and when he was again refused, punched the man in the face, according to the complaint.
E. Fourth St. intruder
A stranger who followed the resident of an apartment in an Avenue A building near E. Fourth St. into the elevator at 4:50 p.m. Tues., March 31, asked the resident where the fourth floor was, according to police. The stranger then pressed the seventh-floor button, and when the doors opened on that floor, he pulled a knife on the resident, forced him to give up his money and then punched him in the face and fled, according to reports.
Citibank powder
The Citibank branch at 100 William St. in the Financial District was evacuated and closed shortly after 9 a.m. Fri., April 3, when an envelope containing an unidentified white powder was found near the automated teller machines, police said. Nine people were decontaminated as a precaution. Police are analyzing the substance, but have not yet reached a conclusion.
Soho ambush
A woman resident of Mercer St. near Broome St. was returning home at 12:30 p.m. Sun., April 3, when a man who had been hiding in the lobby took her bag and fled, police said.
Under the influence
Police stopped four drivers for driving while impaired within two hours on Sat., March 28, at W. Houston St. checkpoints. At the checkpoint in front of 334 W. Houston St. near Washington St., police arrested Anna Velazquez at 12:20 a.m. for driving under the influence of marijuana, and recovered a remnant of a joint in her center console ashtray. At the same checkpoint, police arrested Joshua Costa, 25, at 1:30 a.m. for driving under the influence of marijuana, and recovered a small amount from his jacket pocket. Also at the checkpoint, police arrested Ian Hosang, 50, at 1:35 a.m. for driving while drunk. He registered .16 in an alcohol breath test, twice the legal threshold of .08. At the nearby checkpoint on the northeast corner of West and W. Houston Sts., police arrested Brittney Estrada for driving while under the influence of alcohol. Prior to the stop, Estrada had switched seats with her passenger, police said.
Albert Amateau
