Stalker goes berserk
Police arrested Plinio Guerra, 33, on Dec. 20 after he allegedly stalked a woman, bashed her car and threatened to kill her.
The woman, 22, who apparently had some prior relationship with Guerra, told cops he was following her in his car while she drove from her home to a gas station near the corner of W. 13th St. and Eighth Ave., around 1:15 a.m. She further claimed that, prior to that, Guerra had repeatedly called her on the phone even though she had told him to stop contacting her.
Once at the gas station that morning, Guerra reportedly started the confrontation by walking up to her car and punching her window. The woman said she then got out and walked over to Guerra’s car, in order to take down his license plate number. But while she did that, Guerra approached her car once again, and ripped both her door handles off and damaged both side mirrors, police said.
The woman said Guerra then told her that he was going to wait at her apartment and kill her, after which he returned to his own vehicle, tried to back up and hit her car but missed, and then drove away. Moments later, she flagged down a police car and explained the situation, after which the officers were able to track Guerra down and apprehend him.
Guerra was charged with menacing, criminal mischief, harassment and auto stripping.
Playhouse cash grab
Kafele Carty, 24, was arrested Dec. 19 after he allegedly snatched money out of a woman’s pocket at a West Village nightclub.
The woman, 22, told officers she was having drinks in the Actors Playhouse, at 100 Seventh Ave. South, around 4 a.m., when Carty stuck his hand in her back pocket, grabbed $800 in cash and tried to run away. Club employees were able to detain Carty before he could get out the door, and cops arrived to arrest him minutes later.
The woman also claimed that Carty had groped her butt while taking the loot, but he wasn’t charged for any sexual assault. Instead, he was charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property.
Shifty car rental
Police arrested Ashleigh Byrd, 26, on Dec. 21 after, they say, she rented a car and never returned it.
Byrd got the 2013 Ford Focus from Thrifty Car Rental, and had been keeping the vehicle for her own personal use ever since it was due back on Aug. 1, police said. After the due date came and went, Thrifty had reported the car missing, and cops identified it while Byrd was parked at the corner of W. Third St. and Sixth Ave., around 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 21.
She was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle and criminal possession of stolen property.
iPod theft
Police arrested Juan Suriel, 21, on Dec. 17 after he allegedly stole an iPod from an employee of a West Village convenience store.
Employees of CVS, at 75 Christopher St., told cops they saw Suriel enter an “employees only” room at the store around 3 a.m., then dash out with the iPod in hand. Nearby officers were quickly alerted, and were able to spot the thief, chase him down and apprehend him minutes later. Suriel was charged with burglary.
Bash and run
John Doe, 34, was arrested on Dec. 20 after he allegedly — and for no apparent reason — busted another man’s car door and window.
The car’s owner told cops he was walking back to his vehicle, which was parked on LaGuardia Place between Bleecker and W. Third Sts., around 3:30 a.m., when he spotted Doe punching the car. Doe then reportedly tried to flee the scene, but he was caught shortly afterward, when the other man reported the incident and police quickly canvassed the area. Doe was charged with criminal mischief.
Rapist thwarted, arrested
Police arrested Donnelle Murphy, 29, on Dec. 22, six days after he allegedly broke into a 21-year-old woman’s Kips Bay home and tried to rape her.
Around 2 a.m. on Mon., Dec. 16, Murphy forced his way into the woman’s apartment near Lexington Ave., cornered her, held his hand over her mouth and tried to rape her — but she was able to escape his grasp and screamed until he fled the scene, cops said.
Police sources later said they believe Murphy learned the victim’s address after finding her wallet inside a McDonald’s at E. 28th St. and Park Ave. South, according to a Daily News report.
Murphy, whose address was listed as the E. 30th St. men’s homeless shelter, was charged with attempted rape, burglary, grand larceny, menacing and assault.
— Sam Spokony
