Garage hold-up
Two men held up an employee of the Edison Park Fast Garage at 15 Worth St. around 1:40 a.m. Sun. Feb. 5 and took, $50 from the victim’s pocket and $100 in $1 bills from a small safe in the office, police said. The victim told police he was returning to the booth after parking a car when one of the two robbers put a gun to his back and ordered him to open a large combination safe. When the employee said he could not open it the robbers took his $50, ordered him into the bathroom and managed to open a smaller key safe and took $100 from it. The robbers also made off with the victim’s cell phone from a counter top.
‘Cat Lady’ sentenced
Shana Spalding, who sang under the name of Purgatory with the death-metal band, Divine Infamy, and who was convicted on Dec. 13 of the armed hold-up of an Arche Shoe boutique on Astor Pl. in June 2010 and a Cotelac boutique at 92 Greene St. in August 2010, was sentenced on Wed., Feb. 1 to 10 years in prison. Spalding, 27, was known as the “Cat Lady” because she wore a cat mask during the Astor Pl. robbery and during a previous robbery in Queens. At her sentencing she protested that she was not a violent person and had not displayed the toy gun that she had when she held up the Greene St. shop.
Seek second story man
Crime Stoppers will pay up to $2,000 for information leading to the arrest and indictment of the suspect or suspects who gained entrance into Soho and Village apartments via fire escapes or roof top patio doors from Sept.28 to the present. A heavy set Hispanic man in his late 20s to mid 30s with close-cut hair, medium complexion and stocky build was recorded on surveillance tape leaving the buildings with stolen property concealed in shopping bags.
All callers to Crime Stoppers 1-800-577-TIPS remain anonymous. Callers regarding this series of burglaries should refer to Crime Stoppers poster number M-932.
Van fire on Canal
A 2001 Dodge van burst into flames at the intersection of Canal and Centre Sts, around 1:30 p.m. Thurs., Feb 2, but the driver, 47 escaped without injury, according to reports. The fire closed the street for two hours, according to an item in the New York Post.
Baby was safe
A woman, 39, visiting from London, stopped at Barolo Restaurant, 398 W. Broadway near Spring St., around 5 p.m. Sat., Jan. 28, took her baby from her stroller and left the stroller with her handbag with the staff who put it in a nearby room. When the woman went to retrieve the stroller she discovered the bag was gone, along with her wallet, credit cards, $90 in cash and a few diapers and Pampers.
Vehicles stolen
A Soho woman, 20, parked her motorcycle opposite 525 Broome St. near Sullivan St. around 3 p.m. Wed., Feb 6 near her place of work and returned at 5:30 p.m. to find it had been stolen.
A New Jersey man who parked his 2000 VW in a lot at the rear of 34 Desbrosses St. around 7 a.m. Fri., Feb. 3 returned at 7 a.m. the following Sunday and discovered it had been stolen. There was broken glass at the scene and a surveillance camera was operating on the site during those hours, police said.
— Albert Amateau
