Rainy-day story
A Brooklyn man, 36, was taking shelter from a downpour under an awning on the southeast corner of Eighth Ave. and W. 14th St. when he felt someone going through his pockets, and grabbed the suspect, police said. They both fell to the ground, but the suspect managed to take the victim’s cell phone and flee. A short time later, police arrested Eric Acosta, 38, of Brooklyn, with the stolen cell phone and charged him with third-degree robbery. Acosta was being held in lieu of bail pending a July 22 court date.
Police car mayhem
A police car traveling in the wrong lane against traffic on Avenue D crashed into a car pulling out of a parking spot, which spun out of control and mounted the sidewalk at about 4:15 p.m. Tues., May 30, in an accident that injured eight people, police said.
A mother, 22, and the 7-month-old infant in her arms were slightly injured when she snatched the baby out of her stroller and fell over backward just before the police car hit the stroller. They were treated at Beth Israel Medical Center, as were the two officers in the radio car. A man and a woman, both 52, who were in the car that mounted the curb, were treated at Bellevue Hospital.
The most seriously injured was a man identified in a Daily News article as Kevin Strong, 33, who was tossed into a store awning and sustained a head laceration and a broken thigh. A street vendor, identified as Miguel Carrasquillo, 69, was knocked into the avenue and sustained a broken ankle.
Soho shoplifting
The security at J. Crew, at 99 Prince St. near Mercer St., apprehended a woman who was stuffing merchandise from the shelves into a shopping bag around 5 p.m. Sat., June 27. Police arrested Joan Lee, 49, and charged her with third-degree burglary, fourth-degree grand larceny and possession of stolen property. She had tucked clothes and shoes valued at nearly $2,000 into her bag, the charges said. She was being held in lieu of bail pending a Sept. 30 court appearance.
East River body
Police responded to a 1:32 p.m. call on Thurs., July 2, about a body floating in the East River off the F.D.R. Drive at Grand St. An unidentified black woman between the ages of 20 and 30 was pulled from the water and declared dead at the scene. The Medical Examiner’s Office is investigating the cause of death.
Bleecker beating
Two men set upon a 55-year-old victim on the northwest corner of Bleecker and Mercer Sts. at 4:15 a.m. Sat., July 4, punching and hitting him with a shoe, police said. The victim sustained several broken facial bones. A witness, an East Village man, 35, who tried to prevent the assault, also took a punch. Police arrested Duane Duncan, 45, and James Jemal, 39, in connection with the incident and charged them with felony assault.
Gourmet punch
Police arrested April Jackson, 23, around 1 a.m. Sun., June 28, and charged her with punching a Mount Vernon woman in the face inside the Charles St. Gourmet shop, at 140 Charles St., an hour and a half earlier. The victim, 19, sustained a broken nose and was treated at St. Vincent’s Hospital and released.
Bottle bopping
A Connecticut man, 25, told police that he was arguing with a woman on the northwest corner of Hudson and Charles St. at 2:45 a.m. Sun., June 28, when she smashed him on the forehead with a bottle. Police arrested Pamela Wright, 36, in connection with the incident and charged her with felony assault.
Albert Amateau
