Orchard Hotel D.O.A.
On Thurs., Dec. 21, around 3:09 a.m., police responded to a 911 call of an unconscious man inside the Orchard Street Hotel, at 163 Orchard St. Upon arrival, officers observed a 63-year-old male, unconscious and unresponsive, with no obvious signs of trauma.
E.M.S. responded and pronounced the man dead at the scene. The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death, and the police investigation remains ongoing.
The identity of the deceased is pending proper family notification.
“It was initially believed to be nonsuspicious,” a police spokesperson said of the man’s death. “But who knows at this point? We have to wait for the Medical Examiner.”
Canal fatal crash
A speeding drunk driver lost control and crashed his car after exiting the Manhattan Bridge early Tuesday morning, killing his friend, police said.
PIX reported that the car came off the bridge and hit a fire hydrant — which flew into a bank window — and then burst into flames as it flipped. The two men were family friends.
Police responded to a call about the collision around 1:08 a.m., at Canal St. and Bowery.
They found the 22-year-old male driver, Gerald Joseph of East Flatbush, and his 17-year-old passenger, Shareef Bellerand of Flatbush / Ditmas Park, unconscious and unresponsive inside the 2004 Mazda sedan.
E.M.S. responded and transported the driver to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition. The passenger was taken to New York-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Joseph was found to have a blood-alcohol level of .08 percent. He was charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence.
Car-sit rage
A man told police he spotted someone sitting on his car in the Village and when he told him to get off, the guy went nuts and assaulted him. Police said the incident happened in front of 160 Bleecker St. on Sat., Dec. 23, at 2:43 a.m. The suspect allegedly slapped the 38-year-old victim in the face, causing him pain, and also socked him in the groin and spat in his face.
Michael S. Mann, 30 was arrested for misdemeanor assault.
Grove St. robbery
A man was robbed inside Hakata Tonton, at 61 Grove St., on Mon., Oct. 16, at 11:35 p.m., according to police. Two suspects entered the Japanese restaurant and sprayed the 28-year-old victim in the face and eyes with pepper spray. After a short scuffle, the victim noticed that his cellphone, a Samsung Galaxy S5, which was next to him at the beginning of the altercation, was no longer there. He also had substantial pain to his eyes.
Junsoke Morita, 35, was arrested Wed., Dec. 20, for felony robbery.
W. 4th St. pushback
According to police, a screaming man assaulted a police officer in front of 224 W. Fourth St. on Tues., Dec. 19, at 11:30 p.m. When police came to arrest him, the suspect refused to be cuffed and pushed a sergeant, injuring his lower back and leg.
Antonio Fernandez, 42, was arrested for felony attempted assault.
Credit-card cad
A woman was on a date with a man and he wound up stealing her credit card, police said. The cad was arrested on another charge and, upon a search, an officer saw the bogus beau was in possession of a credit card not his own. When the cop contacted the 36-year-old victim, she confirmed that she had dinner with the suspect at Terra Wine Bar, at 222 West Broadway, on Sat., Dec. 2.
Sal Cruz, 47, and Christopher Cruz, 44, were arrested Mon., Dec. 18, for felony grand larceny.
Candy-store caper
Police said that on Thurs., Dec. 21, at 2 p.m., two unknown men entered a small candy store at 228 Varick St., between Carmine and Downing Sts., and demanded money from a 46-year-old male employee. The victim complied and the pair of perps fled on foot with about $2,000. The employee was not injured in the incident.
The suspects are described as in their late teens or early 20s, both wearing all black clothing. One was 6-feet-1-inch tall and weighed 160 pounds and the other stood 5-feet-11-inches and weighed 140 pounds.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Police Department’s Crime Stoppers Hotline, at 800-577-TIPS, or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Web site, www.nypdcrimestoppers.com, or by texting them to 274637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577. All tips are confidential.
Subway grope
Police said that a man grabbed a 34-year-old woman’s buttocks over her clothing at the Christopher St. subway station on Fri., Dec. 8, at 10:30 p.m. The victim was entering the southbound platform, when the man accosted her. She was not injured.
The suspect had long hair and was last seen wearing a red hooded sweatshirt and a gray jacket.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Police Department’s Crime Stoppers Hotline. (See “Candy story caper” item, above.)
— Tabia C. Robinson
and Lincoln Anderson
