Fur vendors arrested in attack on protesters
Three fur vendors were arrested in Soho Dec. 20 after police say they threw bleach on anti-fur activists.
The attack — during which at least four individuals were hit with the liquid, including a small child — came during one of the ongoing protests against the “fur stall” — a sidewalk location where furs are sold — at Broadway and Spring Sts.
According to Robert Banks, a spokesperson for the protesters, two of the men involved in the attack had gone up to the rooftop of the six-story building above the protest and then poured gallons of bleach onto the crowds below, “hitting two babies, a police officer and even covering their own fur coats with the noxious substance.”
Fifteen anti-animal-cruelty activists had gathered at the spot to continue their weekly demonstration at the fur stall, which holds up to 100 fur pieces, the majority of which are new fur from minks, rabbits, foxes, seals, raccoons and chinchillas, the activists say.
The fur foes railed through a megaphone about the creatures’ suffering and held large images of animals used in the fur industry.
Police reportedly had been at the scene for a few minutes before the attack and were part of the crowd hit by the bleach. The officers commenced a search of the building and arrested the two fur vendors, who were reportedly caught red-handed with their bleach bottles and buckets still in hand. A third fur vendor was also arrested for his part in the attack.
The remaining fur vendors were ordered to shut down their stall and leave the area.
A police spokesperson confirmed that three men were arrested for “acting in concert” to throw a mixture of bleach and ammonia: David Haber, 53, of Cortland, N.Y.; and Luis Justino, 40, and Lawrence Andrews, 35, both of the Bronx. They were all charged with second-degree reckless endangerment and criminal mischief.
Mugger takes shoes
A Tribeca man was robbed of his coat, shoes, wallet and cell phone in the Financial District on Fri., Dec. 19.
The 32-year-old man was walking down Nassau St. near Beekman St. at 1 p.m. when police say the thief approached him with both hands in his pocket. The mugger then lifted the left side of his jacket — with his hand inside the pocket — and said, “Give me your wallet.” The victim, thinking that the man had a gun, gave him his wallet and then his coat.
The thief wanted more, however, and then asked for the man’s shoes. He was then told to lay face down on the ground, police say, and the suspect fled. The thief got away with a $500 Brooks Brother blue wool coat, a BlackBerry worth $50, a $250 pair of Ferragamo shoes, a $50 wallet, credit cards and $20, for $870 total.
Punched once, robbed twice
A man was entering information on his work iPad when a thief came up to him, punched him in the face and snatched the device out of his hand last month in the Financial District.
Police say the 26-year-old man was at Hanover Square near Stone St. at 4:38 p.m. on Thurs., Dec. 18 when the first theft took place. But this tale of woe gets worse. After one thief stole the iPad and fled on Stone St., the man gave chase but immediately realized he had left his personal cell phone unattended on a ledge. Another thief stole his phone.
One thief got away with an iPad worth $400 and its $100 case. The other got a $600 iPhone with its $100 case.
Woman mugged in Soho
A 33–year-old woman was walking on Greene St. in Soho at 11:45 p.m. last weekend, when police say two men attacked and robbed her before fleeing in a getaway car driven by a third accomplice.
The woman, who was walking home from work, on Fri., Dec. 26, told police that one man charged at her from across the street. While avoiding him, she backed into the second man, who then threw her on the ground, covered her mouth, and used force to keep her down, police say. His partner then grabbed her purse and both thieves ran away and jumped into a white SUV with New York plates.
They got away with over $1,136 worth of items and the woman’s Citibank card.
Knife pulled in subway mugging
After boarding a train at 5 p.m. on Mon., Dec. 22, a 22-year-old man was approached by a man, who brandished a knife and said, “Give me everything you have,” police say.
The Brooklyn man, who had just gotten on the train at the Rector St. (R) station in the Financial District, handed over his $500 iPhone to the suspect, who then fled.
Healthy swipe: $2,000 of stuff
A thief stole over $1,900 worth of health and beauty products from the Duane Reade near City Hall — but first placed stickers over the cameras to avoid detection.
At around 9 p.m. on Tues., Dec. 23, a man walked into the Duane Reade at 250 Broadway and went downstairs, a male employee told police. He said that there was no employee downstairs while the crime took place. The thief filled his backpack full of Visine products, 20 Chapsticks and 22 Blistex, 26 Nyquil products, 6 Zyrtec and 3 Tylenol products for a total of $1,924.
Now find your wallet
The saying no good deed goes unpunished might be applicable in the case of a 21-year-old woman who tried to help another woman with directions — and got several items stolen from her purse.
Police say the woman had just gotten out of the Prince St. (N,Q,R) stop in Soho when the questioner, 25, asked for directions around 5 p.m. on Thurs., Dec. 18. While the victim checked her iPhone to look up the information, the woman who pretended to be lost took off west on Prince St. The victim, who lives in Chinatown, then noticed that her purse was open and her credit card, driver’s license and MetroCard were gone.
Is the thief a sommelier?
A thief who knows his wines well — or got really lucky — stole a bottle of Petrus, worth $3,500, from Tribeca Wine Merchants on Sat., Dec. 20.
Police say a man who looked to be in his 50s walked into the wine shop at 40 Hudson St. at 6 p.m., took the red wine off the shelf, hid it under his jacket and left.
—Dusica Sue Malesevic and Lincoln Anderson
