UNAUTHORIZED USE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE: CAB CATCH AND RELEASE
At 1:40am on Sat., Nov. 11, a 43-year-old male got into an argument with the 29-year-old male driver of a yellow taxi — as a result of a near car accident at the southwest corner of 9th Ave. and W. 33rd St. The cab driver told police that the man drove his vehicle, without consent or authority, for one block — then exited the vehicle.
GRAND LARCENY: Dirty pool, late report
On Nov. 18, a 47-year-old male resident of Virginia told police that in the early hours of June 25, he discovered that his wallet was missing after leaving the Eagle bar (554 W. 28th St.). The victim stated that he believes his wallet was taken from his back pocket while playing pool — adding that he did not think it was necessary to file a report at the time the incident happened. Total lost: $1,308 ($200 in cash, the rest in unauthorized credit card usage).
CRIMINAL MISCHIEF: She wouldn’t leave livery
At 5am on Sat., Nov. 19 (at Seventh Ave. btw. W. 26th and W. 27th Sts.), a 23-year-old female passenger had an argument with the driver of her livery cab. After refusing to leave the cab after numerous warnings, she was placed under arrest. As the arresting officer was walking her to RMP, the defendant knowingly and intently used her right foot to kick the cab’s rear tail light — causing it to crack.
COUNTERFEITING: Bogus cosmetics on corner
Private trademark investigators told police that a vendor with a table on the southeast corner of University Place and E. 14th St. was displaying 400 samples of cosmetics with counterfeit high-end brand names around 6:10pm on Fri., Nov. 18. Police did not say what brands were involved in the knockoffs.
ASSAULT: Punch causes ‘public alarm’
Police arrested a 19-year-old woman in front of 72 Christopher St. (near W. Fourth St.) at 4:49am on Mon., Nov. 21 — when a female victim, 24, told them the suspect punched her in the mouth. Police said the assailant “was loud and boisterous and causing public alarm.”
ASSAULT: Meat Market rage
A man, 24, told police that a suspect punched him and knocked him unconscious in front of 37 Ninth Ave. at 14th St. around 4:15am on Sun., Nov. 20 — and then grabbed his head and slammed it on the pavement. The victim was taken to Bellevue for head lacerations and the suspect (a 24-year-old male) was charged with assault.
LOST PROPERTY: Should have kept ‘Eagle’ eye on wallet
A 47-year-old male resident of Charlotte, NC told police that at approximately 1:30am on Sat., Nov. 19, he took his wallet out to pay for a drink while at the Eagle bar (554 W. 28th St.). He then returned the wallet to his right back pocket. About an hour later, when he went for his wallet, he discovered it was missing. The victim stated that he “didn’t feel anybody go in his back pocket” — but notes the club was very crowded and he was being bumped. At the time the report was filed (at 4:10am, on the same morning as the incident), the victim was in the process of canceling the five credit cards, which were in his wallet. Also lost: $350 in cash.
GRAND LARCENY: Bag is MIA at FIT
A 24-year-old female resident of Brooklyn told police that at approximately 1pm on Tues., Nov. 15, she was on a computer in the Fashion Institute of Technology library (Seventh Ave. and W. 27th St.). She placed her bag on the floor next to her while working. When she was done, she went to retrieve the handbag — only to find it was missing. The bag was valued at $200. Also missing: two credit cards (no unauthorized activity reported) and $20 in cash.
GRAND LARCENY: iPhone sidewalk snatch
At approximately 8:34pm on Mon., Nov. 21, a 37-year-old female resident of Manhattan was walking along the southwest corner of Seventh Ave. and W. 15th St. — when an unknown perpetrator bumped into her from behind, then snatched an iPhone 4 from the victim’s right hand. The perpetrator fled westbound, on foot, down W. 15th St. The phone is valued at $300.
ATM hacking ring busted
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. has secured a new indictment against three Canadians charged with skimming debit card data from 11 bank branch ATMs within a mile of Union Square — and stealing more than $285,000 from hundreds of victims.
Two of the suspects (males, ages 28 and 31, both Bulgarian immigrants to Canada) were arrested on May 24 at a bank branch at Broadway and E. 10th St., as they were retrieving skimmed data. A third suspect (the 24-year-old brother of one of the suspects) had fled to Canada and is being sought in extradition proceedings.
The 81-count indictment handed up on Nov. 16 supersedes a three-count indictment filed in May.
The three are charged with using green plastic lips that fit over ATM card slots and skim data from users’ cards. In addition, the defendants installed hidden pinhole lens video cameras at the sides of ATM keypads to record PINs. The data was used to steal money from accounts in Canada, Arizona and Illinois, in addition to New York, according to Vance.
During one five-day period in January of this year, the defendants are accused of skimming data from more than 1,100 ATM cards. Most of the money was wired to Bulgaria.
MURDER: Supper Club casualties
Gunfire brought police to Juliette Supper Club at 539 W. 21st St. around 2:22am on Tues., Nov. 15 — where they found two victims. One of them, a 43-year-old man, had a gunshot wound in the chest and another in the back. He was taken to Bellevue Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. The other victim (a 28-year-old man) had a gunshot wound in the arm, another in the back and a third in the buttocks. He was taken to Bellevue in stable condition. Police are investigating but have made no arrests. The name of the dead victim was withheld pending family notification.
—Albert Amateau and Scott Stiffler
