ROBBERY: Rhinestones—But No Cowboy | A bandit donning a white hat with rhinestones robbed a Santander Bank (169 Seventh Ave. btw. W. 19th & W. 20th Sts.) at 11:35 a.m. on Wed., Aug. 19. The perpetrator, believed to be in his late 30s, passed a note to a teller demanding cash and claiming possession of a firearm. The bank employee complied and handed over an undisclosed amount of cash, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The suspect was last seen driving a New York City taxi as a getaway car.
An FBI statement noted that he is suspected to be involved with five previous bank robberies in the New York area. He is described as a black male, six-feet, two inches tall and 200 pounds, with a moustache. Authorities are offering a reward for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the suspect. Tipsters can call the FBI at 212-384-1000.
DEAD ON ARRIVAL: Bus Crash Kills Pedestrian | Police say an MTA bus fatally struck a 69-year-old female pedestrian on Thurs., Aug. 20. The incident occurred just before 9:40 a.m. when the vehicle hit the woman midblock on W. 57th St. (btw. Broadway & Eighth Ave.). She was taken to Cornell Hospital where she was pronounced dead. The driver remained on scene. A police statement indicated that the crash remains under investigation.
CRIMINAL MISCHIEF: Inside Job Makes Big Splash | A disgruntled employee is suspected to be connected in some way to the intentional clogging of a drain — a felony caper which remains a mystery. The incident damaged a construction site on Sat., Aug. 15. Police say that someone left a hose running at the site located on the 600 block of W. 42nd St. (btw. 11th & 12th Aves.), resulting in significant damage spanning the 8th through 54th floors, according to a police report.
HARASSMENT: Chelsea Art Argument | Two visitors on the High Line incurred the wrath of an art vendor at about 3 p.m. on Sun., Aug. 23. The Hell’s Kitchen husband and wife were having a gander at canvasses in the park near the northwest corner of 10th Ave. and W. 16th St., when the vendor claimed that the wife damaged one of the works. An argument ensued, police said. At one paint, the vendor allegedly stepped on the 33-year-old husband’s foot. Police arrived on scene and examined the artwork in question, describing it in a report as undamaged. The vendor, meanwhile, “displayed aggressive, discourteous behavior” toward fellow citizens, the report added. The 55-year-old vendor, an upstate resident, was ultimately not arrested.
PETIT LARCENY: Hot Suds No-Go | Store security stopped a 56-year-old man’s effort to score some free beer on Fri., Aug. 21. The perpetrator grabbed $11 worth of Budweiser and $18 worth of Heineken from the fridge of a CVS located near W. 23rd St. and Seventh Ave., at about 4:20 p.m. that afternoon. But an astute 25-year-old security guard prevented the prospective shoplifter from leaving the premises, police said. The witness called in the heavies, NYPD officers who arrested the Chelsea resident and charged him with petit larceny, a misdemeanor.
—ZACH WILLAIMS
THE 10th PRECINCT: Located at 230 W. 20th St. (btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves.). Commander: Deputy Inspector Michele Irizarry. Main number: 212-741-8211. Community Affairs: 212-741-8226. Crime Prevention: 212-741-8226. Domestic Violence: 212-741-8216. Youth Officer: 212-741-8211. Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-741-8210. Detective Squad: 212-741-8245. The Community Council meets on the last Wed. of the month, 7 p.m., at the 10th Precinct or other locations to be announced. The council is on summer break, to resume on Sept. 30.
