Grand Larceny: Crooked cabby’s scam goes south
Upon exiting a cab at around 2:30am on Sun., April 7, a resident of West Chelsea realized she left her phone (a Verizon model valued at $300) behind. A short time later, her friend was contacted by the driver (using the victim’s phone). They were told that if they wanted the item returned, “It will cost you money.” A price of $100 was given. Acting on instructions from the police, the victim (now at the 10th Precinct, having filed a complaint) set the stage for a clever ruse of her own. She contacted the driver and agreed to his terms. He asked, “You got the money?” and was assured that $100 would be waiting for him, if he agreed to meet in her apartment building lobby. A short time later, when the exchange was going down, officers arrested the driver — when the victim positively identified him (and her phone, which she was reunited with).
Lost Property: Bad ‘Apple’ gives victim a black ‘i’
In a stunning convergence of brand-themed irony, a woman’s 2012 iPad with retina display (a popular Apple product) went missing while its owner was in the Apple store, presumably shopping for other Apple products. At around 11:30am on Sat., April 6, a 27-year-old resident of Brooklyn was inside Chelsea’s 401 W. 14th St. branch of the Apple store — when she put her iPad on a table and forgot to retrieve it. A short time after leaving, she called the store (by way of iPhone, one presumes). The staff searched for her iPad, but did not find it on the table — and noted that the item had not been turned in.
Criminal Trespass:
His Stunner was no ‘Fashion’ hit
A man, approximately 20 years old, attempted to enter the High School of Fashion Industries (225 W. 24 St.) at 11:45am on Mon., April 8. When confronted by school safety officers, he fled the scene, leaving behind a black bag. It contained a black hat, a black jacket, 40 Lotto tickets, a box containing 28 9mm blank centerfire cartridges and one gray Blitz captive bolt stunner (which had a blank 9mm cartridge in its chamber). Also known as a “cattle gun, a “stunbolt gun” or a “stunner,” the device (which can resemble a thin rod or a pistol) is used to dispatch animals during the slaughtering process.
Grand Larceny: Familiar phone grab scenario
While walking on the West 300 block of 16th St. at around 4:30am on Mon., April 8, a 26-year-old woman (from out of state, temporarily residing in Manhattan) was approached by a man who reached his hand into her purse (which was on her shoulder), removed her iPhone 5 (valued at $800) and ran away. Immediately after, another male approached the victim, saying he was going to help retrieve the phone — but instead, he reached into the victim’s purse and removed her wallet and keys (which she took back from the “helpful” thief). The complaint, filed at the 10th Precinct, notes that video obtained from nearby shows that as this incident took place, two other men had surrounded the victim. Sans the hovering accomplices, this scenario (one man steals a phone and flees, another appears to help) is similar to an incident reported in the April 3 issue of Chelsea Now — in which the second man offered to get a woman’s iPhone back if she gave him money. That man was apprehended, but the phone thief got away.
Leaving the Scene, Property Damage:
Dyer Ave. #1
In town for the Auto Show, a 79-year-old man from Englewood, NJ parked his vehicle on the southwest corner of Dyer Ave. & W. 35 St., at around 3pm on Sun., April 7. He returned two hours later, to discover a note on his car. Its author claimed to be a bystander who witnessed another car (with NJ plates) hit the victim’s vehicle, then flee the scene.
Leaving the Scene, Property Damage:
Dyer Ave. #2
A 29-year-old Queens man told police that at 4:30pm on Sun., April 7, he was traveling southbound on Dyer Ave., in his black 2010 BMW 4-door sedan — when a silver Mercedes Benz ML, attempting to enter the tunnel at W. 36 St., swiped his vehicle, causing damage to its drive’s side. The driver of the Mercedes fled the scene, without exchanging insurance info.
—Scott Stiffler
