Molester gets 8 years
The man convicted of groping a 10-year-old girl near Gramercy Park last May has been sentenced to eight years in prison, Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance announced on April 22.
Timothy Gillette, 63, was convicted of first-degree sexual abuse by a New York State Supreme Court jury on March 13. According to court documents, on May 25, 2012, Gillette approached the girl — whose mother was nearby — near the corner of E. 20th St. and Third Ave., and forcibly touched the girl’s genital area before running away. The victim’s mother was able to take a photograph of Gillette on her cell phone before walking to the 13th Precinct to report the incident, the D.A. said, which aided police in identifying the molester.
In addition to his prison sentence, Gillette will face 10 years of post-release supervision.
Meatpack boutique bust
Police arrested a group of five suspects early on Fri., April 19, after they allegedly burglarized a trendy clothing boutique in the Meatpacking District.
A witness told police he was walking down Little West 12th St. around 4:30 a.m. when he saw a man (later identified as Trent Patterson, 47) approach another man (later identified as Bilal Abdelkrim, 27) and say to him that the front door of the nearby Ted Baker outlet was unlocked, and he should “go inside and get some stuff.” The witness then saw Abdelkrim enter the store, at 34 Little West 12th St., remove an armful of clothing, and come back outside to hand it to Patterson, who was standing watch with the other perpetrators. Abdelkrim reportedly then entered the store one more time, gathering another heap of clothing and handing it this time to Aude Boukli, 25, another suspect standing outside.
Minutes after the witness reported the crime, cops swarmed the location and were able to catch Abdelkrim, Patterson and Boukli red-handed, along with two other suspects whose names police did not disclose. All five were charged with burglary.
Ate J — but had baggies
This guy ate his joint when he saw a cop coming to bust him — but it was a bitter pill to swallow.
The officer said he saw Daniel Aviles, 25, smoking the marijuana cigarette near the corner of Bank St. and Greenwich Ave. around 11 a.m. on Thurs., April 18, and then witnessed Aviles swallowing the joint once the two men made eye contact. But Aviles had a lot more to hide than a simple reefer — and that became clear when the officer searched the stoner’s pockets and found three plastic bags stuffed with weed, which all tested positive back at the precinct.
Aviles was charged with criminal possession of marijuana and tampering with physical evidence.
Hit her with a 40
Police arrested a man who allegedly stole $100 from a woman in the Village and then smashed a large beer bottle over her head when she tried to take it back.
The victim and witnesses told cops that, while she was walking past the corner of Commerce and Bedford Sts. around 10:30 p.m. on Tues., April 16, the perp — later identified as Shaun Handy, 45 — snatched the cash right out of her pants pocket and then turned to run away. The woman said she attempted to rip the money out of the thief’s hands, but he responded by hitting her with a 40-ounce beer bottle, which left a cut on her forehead and a bruise around her left eye, before he fled scene. The victim was later treated at Beth Israel Hospital for minor injuries.
But Handy didn’t get far. He was caught less than two hours later during a police canvass of the area. He was charged with robbery.
Camera grabs camera culprit
A Village restaurant employee was arrested at work on April 21 after, according to police, he stole the camera of a customer who was busy enjoying a meal.
Police said they identified William Threherne, 47, as the likely culprit after viewing surveillance video from inside Grano Trattoria, at 21 Greenwich Ave. Threherne is believed to have swiped a bag containing the digital camera and an extra lens — with a total value exceeding $1,100 — around 5 p.m., while he was on the job. Police arrived at the restaurant several hours later to cuff him.
Threherne was charged with grand larceny.
Purse snatcher caught
This gal made cops’ jobs easier by skillfully spotting, following and identifying the thug who allegedly stole her purse inside a Meatpacking District bar on Sun., April 21.
The woman told police that she left the purse unattended momentarily while getting a drink at the Brass Monkey, at 55 Little West 12th St., around 4 a.m., and soon realized that someone had walked off with it. She said that, immediately after that, she noticed a man — later identified as Nicholas Tuths, 28 — walking quickly away from the bar’s seating area, toward the exit, and followed him until he’d left the premises, when she then called police to report the crime.
Aided by her description, police were able to nail the suspect about an hour later during a canvass of the area. Tuths was charged with grand larceny.
Sam Spokony
