BY GABE HERMAN |
Car-cash theft
There was a robbery at Midtown Center Auto Repair, at 537 W. 39th St., between 10th and 11th Aves., on Sat., Feb. 9, police said.
Just after 5 a.m., an employee reported that a man unknown to him, but who was apparently known to the business’s owner, took $400 from an open cash register without permission and then left. Camera footage at the scene was reportedly available.
The suspect, who is wanted for misdemeanor petit larceny, is described as white/Hispanic and 5-feet-6-inches tall. His first name is Jose, according to the police report, which did not give a last name. None of the money has been recovered and the case remains open.
Mad dad
A man asked to enter an apartment at 446 W. 26th St., between Ninth and 10th Aves., on Sun., Feb. 10, but was not allowed in, police said.
“I’m going to keep coming back until I see my daughter,” he then said, according to police.
During the incident, which occurred at 5 p.m., the man wound up getting mad when the woman inside, 42, refused to let him in. He made threats to hurt her and kicked the door, damaging the peephole/knocker and the door to the point where it could not open.
Izaiyah Armstrong, 23, was arrested for misdemeanor criminal mischief.
Gallipoli defeat
A man was arrested for putting up an ad poster for a new album, “Gallipoli,” by the indie folk band Beirut, on the side of 10th Avenue Pizza and Cafe, at 265 10th Ave., at W. 26 St., police said.
On Sat., Feb. 9, at 2 p.m., the man used adhesive to put up the poster, which was 4 feet by 2 feet, without permission.
Carlos Baez, 37, was arrested that day for making graffiti, a misdemeanor.
Stamp of disapproval
A man was hit with a harassment violation for an incident on the evening of Fri., Feb. 8, inside the U.S. Postal Service building, at 341 Ninth Ave., between W. 29th and W. 30th Sts., police said.
A woman, 27, said that while she was in the fourth-floor cafe around 9 p.m., a male co-worker more than twice her age, approached her, grabbed her arm and tried to kiss her hand, making her feel uncomfortable.
The report identified the man as Reginald Evans Jr., 62.
Picky perp
A prolific pickpocket has been stealing purses and wallets from unsuspecting victims, mostly women, throughout the city, including in Midtown and the Upper East Side, according to police.
The woman has struck 13 times since June 2018, with most of the thefts coming just in recent months and in retail stores. All but one of the incidents had a female victim, and every time the victim only discovered a missing wallet or purse after the theft had already occurred.
Five of the incidents were in the Midtown South area and one was in the 19th Precinct on the Upper East Side. Several of the other incidents occurred in Queens. Many of the thefts, including all the ones in Manhattan, included the victim’s credit cards later being used at various retail stores, including Macy’s, H & M, Uniqlo and American Eagle.
Unauthorized credit card purchases ranged from $107 to more than $2,600. Cash stolen from wallets and purses ranged from $40, in some cases, up to $6,000 from one woman’s wallet.
The ages of the victims also varied greatly, from 28 up to 90 years old.
Police released photos of the woman wanted for the grand larcenies. She is described as black, 25 to 35 years old, and last seen wearing eyeglasses and all-black clothing.
An officer at the Upper East Side’s 19th Precinct said many bag and wallet thefts occur when people leave items unattended, even for a brief moment. He said people should not leave bags on the back of chairs in restaurants, for example, or place wallets on a counter even for a moment when buying something. The officer recommended always keeping items in sight — and, even if nearby, never out of direct reach —and that wallets should be kept in front pockets, never in back pockets.
