HARASSMENT: In the ‘Market’ for conflict | This is one of those altercations where you read about the lack of civility and think, surely alcohol was involved — but the sobering fact is, push came to shove before the victim had a chance to imbibe his brewski. Police reported that just before 10 p.m. on Wed., Sept. 13, a 27-year-old male was at the Hudson Food Market (312 11th Ave., btw. W. 29th & 30th Sts.) for the express purpose of purchasing a beer. Another male, 46, was making use of the store’s ready supply of kilowatts by powering up his phone, which was plugged into a wall socket. When the juice mooch got a call, he removed the phone from his personal charger (still attached to the wall) and took his conversation outside. The budding beer drinker then turned his attention to that unescorted charger, and “switched plugs,” according to a 19-year-old witness. Back from his chat in the great outdoors, the perp accused the 27-year-old of taking his phone charger, a charge leveled along with a shove and a punch during the ensuing argument (a story told by the witness as well as the store’s security cameras). The victim did not sustain injury, and refused medical attention offered by responding officers.
FRAUDULENT ACCOSTING: Costly bottle service scam | She wanted to rub shoulders with the beautiful people — but along the way, ended up falling in with the wrong crowd. A 28-year-old woman is out a considerable wad of cash, having fallen for one of clubland’s classic cons. The victim told police that the early morning hours of her weekend tour of area nightlife, she met a man at “an unknown bar near Little West 12th Street” and fell under the spell of a promise that, for $180, he could hook her up with entrance to Chelsea’s famed 1 Oak nightclub, with her own special table. With that promise to upgrade her chosen party venue (“Oak,” after all, is so much more exclusive than a W. 12th St. bar whose name you can’t recall), he took her to 457 W. 17th St. (a mere stone’s throw away from the club), where she handed over the finder’s fee. Her glam set go-between turned out to be a faux-fab Fagin, however, when he disappeared into the night, “never to return,” police noted, “and without providing promised services.”
PETIT LARCENY: Stranger swipes Samsung | Misery loves company, but nobody wants to hear a sad song sung by a host who invites people to his pad without subjecting them to a severe screening process. Nevertheless, we’re here to report what happened — so if you’re in the market for a true tale of crime coming from a poorly curated guest list, then dig this, dear reader: On the evening of Mon., Sept. 11, a 49-year-old man invited friends and (here’s the operative word) acquaintances to hang out in his apartment, on the 500 block of 10th Ave. At some point in the socialization process, he noticed two things: First, his Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge phone (valued at $800) was missing from the living room table; and second, its sudden absence coincided with the hasty exit of a man the too-trusting host was not intimately acquainted with (henceforth known as the “unknown perp”).
PETIT LARCENY: You snooze, you lose | This week’s blotter has a second tale of loss stemming from taking your eyes off the ball — or, more specifically, giving those eyes a rest that lasted a few hours too long. A cabbie reported to police that at around 1 a.m. on Fri., Sept. 15, he was parked in front of 331 W. 18th St. With his window partially opened, the thoroughly pooped 65-year-old settled in for a snooze. Three hours later, he awoke to discover all of the windows rolled down and his phone (an iPhone valued at $250) missing from the cab’s center console. Sadly, the victim did not have any tracking devices, such as the Find My iPhone app (which, as loyal Blotter readers know, has helped police to track and sometimes recover stolen phones). In a further blow to swift justice, there were no cameras in the area, which could have recorded the theft. The victim told police he might have the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) at home, on the phone’s document of sale; so he’d got that going for him, we hope.
—Scott Stiffler
THE 10th PRECINCT: Located at 230 W. 20th St. (btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves.). Commander: Capt. Paul Lanot. 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: 212-924-3377. 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.
MIDTOWN SOUTH PRECINCT: Located at 357 W. 35th St. (btw. Eighth & Ninth Aves.). Inspector Russel J. Green, Commanding Officer. Call 212-239-9811. Community Affairs: 212-239-9846. Crime Prevention: 212-239-9846. Domestic Violence: 212-239-9863. Youth Officer: 212-239-9817. Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-239-9836. Detective Squad: 212-239-9856. The Community Council meets on the third Thurs. of the month, 7 p.m., at the New Yorker Hotel (481 Eighth Ave., btw. W. 34th & 35th Sts.). Visit midtownsouthcc.org.
THE 13th PRECINCT: Located at 230 E. 21st St. (btw. Second & Third Aves.). Deputy Inspector: Brendan Timoney. Call 212-477-7411. Community Affairs: 212-477-7427. Crime Prevention: 212-477-7427. Domestic Violence: 212-477-3863. Youth Officer: 212-477-7411. Auxiliary Coordinator: 212-477-4380. Detective Squad: 212-477-7444. The Community Council meets on the third Tues. of the month, 6:30 p.m., at the 13th Precinct.
CASH FOR GUNS | $100 cash will be given (no questions asked) for each handgun, assault weapon or sawed-off shotgun, up to a maximum payment of $300. Guns are accepted at any Police Precinct, PSA or Transit District.
