Went missing in Midtown
Police said that Michael Thomas, a 46-year-old Village man, is reported missing. He was last seen at about 4 p.m. on Mon., April 20, at 401 Seventh Ave., the Pennsylvania Hotel, across from Penn Station.
Thomas, of 61 Jane St., Apt. 11F, was last seen wearing a black sweater and brown pants, and was carrying a suitcase.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Police Department’s Crime Stoppers Hotline, at 800-577-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Web site, www.nypdcrimestoppers.com, or by texting them to 274637(CRIMES) and then entering TIP577.
Caught in the middle
A well-intentioned effort to disrupt an argument on a southbound 1 train left a 46-year-old woman with a swollen face on Thurs., April 16. She reportedly did not know either person involved in the dispute, which began at about 6:20 p.m. that day.
But police said they know Kurt Lewis, 44, as a transit recidivist. He was arrested for misdemeanor assault after the train pulled into the subway station at W. 14th St. and Sixth Ave. A small bag of marijuana was also found in his backpack, police said.
Hack attack
A taxi driver did not go quietly after his fare punched him at least four times on Sat., April 18. The two men were reportedly arguing for unknown reasons near the southeast corner of W. 14th St. and Sixth Ave. when Ethan Lewis, 25, allegedly unleashed the first blows.
Police said that the 35-year-old hack then tried to prevent Lewis from fleeing the scene, resulting in another knuckle sandwich that cut the victim’s face at about 2:30 a.m.
Police found Lewis nearby and arrested him for misdemeanor assault. His alleged victim reportedly refused medical attention.
Screwy assault
A screwdriver was allegedly the weapon of choice for a 47-year-old man accused of stabbing his adversary during a verbal altercation in front of 333 Sixth Ave. on Wed., April 15. Police said that Ronald Graham used the tool to cause a puncture wound to a 23-year-old man at about 5 a.m. that day. Graham was arrested and charged with felony assault. The reason for the argument was not immediately clear.
Teens target 80-year-old
Two teenagers jumped an 80-year-old woman as she exited the Christopher St. subway station on the morning of Thurs., April 18, according to police. The octogenarian N.Y.U. employee spotted them as they made their approach, police said. But there was little she could do once the two assailants grabbed her purse and pulled her to the ground, resulting in her suffering a knee injury. The robbers then fled on foot westbound on W. Fourth St. The incident was reportedly caught by a surveillance camera.
Police located Efrain Navedo, 18, later that day at a Dunkin Donuts near the intersection of Christopher St. and Seventh Ave. South. A 17-year-old suspect was caught the following day in the vicinity of Hudson River Park, police said.
They were both charged with felony robbery. The woman’s possessions were not recovered.
Fake bling sting
Counterfeit goods were found at a jewelry story at 375 Sixth Ave. on Thurs., April 16, according to police. Officers said they observed Saad Obeid, 52, offering a fake Cartier ring and bracelet for sale at about 3 p.m. that day. A Cartier representative confirmed that the goods were not authentic.
Usually, a special New York Police Department unit investigates tips from luxury-goods makers. However, a Sixth Precinct source could not confirm that was the case in the bust of Obeid, who was charged with trademark counterfeiting, a misdemeanor.
— Zach Williams and Lincoln Anderson
