Long, cool drop An air conditioner fell from a six-story window of 65 Second Ave., at W. Fourth St., around 8:30 a.m. Tues., Sept. 28, hitting an open awning, which collapsed on a resident of the building who was sitting on a standpipe with his dog in front of a wine bar at the location. The victim, Anthony Franzese, 67, was taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition, according to a Fire Department spokesperson.
The air conditioner fell from the apartment of Bruce Fuller, 49, a friend of the victim’s who is taking care of Franzese’s dog, a Shih Tzu, which was not hurt in the accident, according to a New York Post article.
Department of Buildings inspectors issued a violation against the owner of the six-story building for an improperly installed air conditioner.
Franzese, is a mentally impaired Vietnam veteran who has been involved in a dispute with his landlord, who claimed in court papers that he was living illegally in a third-floor apartment without paying rent since his girlfriend died two years ago, according to the Post article. Franzese was supposed to have vacated the apartment last week under a Housing Court agreement under which the landlord was supposed to pay him $25,000, the Post said.
Child abused
Police are looking for a man who sexually molested a 10-year-old girl in the Barnes & Noble bookstore, 33 E. 17th St., on the north side of Union Square on Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 21. The girl was reading a book around 3:20 p.m. when the man started talking with her, then blocked her way and touched her buttocks, police said. The girl broke away and ran to her mother but the suspect fled before anyone could intercept him. Anyone with information should phone Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (8477) or log onto to www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or text tips to 274637 (crimes) and enter TIP577. All calls are confidential.
Bar 13 brawl
Two groups of revelers went at each other around 3:40 p.m. Sun., Sept 26, outside of Bar 13, at 35 E. 13th St. at University Place. Police said that four people were injured during a dispute with a group of six to 10 adversaries that started inside the club. Two of the victims were hit over the head with bottles and received cuts — one of them sustaining “deep lacerations,” police said. Another man received minor injuries and a woman was kicked in the stomach. Police charged Genard Isaac, 22, with second-degree assault for wielding a broken glass bottle in the fight. Isaac’s brother, 27, was issued a desk-appearance ticket for disorderly conduct. Genard was freed on his own recognizance pending a Dec. 7 court appearance.
Club punch
Police arrested Wayne Bilotti, 38, in front of the Grisly Pear bar, at 107 MacDougal St. between Minetta Lane and Bleecker St., around 3:15 a.m. Mon., Sept. 27, for punching a 28-year-old Inwood man in the eye.
Laptop theft
A Queens man, 22, was on his laptop Apple computer while having a slice at Famous Famiglia Pizza, at 757 Broadway at Eighth St., at 11:15 p.m. Tues., Sept. 21, when two teenagers grabbed the laptop and ran, police said. The thieves, both 15, were apprehended a short time later and were charged with grand larceny.
Receives DWI
Police arrested Braylon Edwards, the bearded wide receiver for the New York Jets at 5:15 a.m. Tues., Sept. 21, behind the wheel of his northbound car on the West Side Highway at 34th St. Police stopped the car because it had excessive tint on the windows and then determined that Edwards appeared intoxicated. According to reports, his blood alcohol level was double the legal limit. He was arrested “without incident,” charged with DWI and released pending a Nov. 11 court appearance.
Soho mugging
A Wilton, Conn., man was texting while walking on West Broadway at Prince St. around 3:50 a.m. Sat., Sept. 25, when a stranger stopped him, demanded his wallet, then punched him in the face and fled but didn’t take the wallet, police said. The suspect, James Unstead, 38, was arrested a short time later on Prince St. near Greene St. and was identified at the First Precinct stationhouse, where he was charged with attempted robbery.
Lebewohl case
The Manhattan South Homicide Squad has been “looking at persons of interest” in the 1996 murder of Abe Lebewohl, owner of the 2nd Ave. Deli during a robbery near the deli, according to the New York Post. The Lebewohl family has contributed a significant part of the $130,000 reward money for information leading to the arrest. The Post story quotes Detective Jimmy Piccione saying that he hopes the reward would give incentive to someone to come forward with information. Two days after the March 4, 2006, murder, a .25-caliber pistol that police identified as the murder weapon was found near the east side of Central Park. Police tied the weapon to a double murder several months earlier at the Saw Mill River Motel in Westchester.
Soho shoplift
A woman who entered the Tibi boutique, at 120 Wooster St., around 6 p.m. Tues., Sept. 21, went into a dressing room with a dress, two shirts and a merino wool sweater. She managed to get the tags off the clothes and walked out with them in her bag without paying, police said. Store employees were not able to describe the suspect.
Bloomie’s theft
A former employee of the Soho Bloomingdale’s, at 504 Broadway between Broome and Spring Sts., was arrested on Thurs., Sept. 23, and charged with stealing $1,546 from the store a month earlier. Kevin Kiadii, 22, was charged with taking the money from a cash register of the Soho store at 4:05 p.m. Aug. 29 after he was under an Aug. 17 court order to stay out of any Bloomingdale’s location. He was in jail in lieu of $5,000 bail pending a court appearance later this week.
Albert Amateau
