Elevator robbery
A man was forced into his Spring St. apartment’s elevator and robbed at gunpoint late at night on Wednesday.
The victim, 23, told police that he was entering his apartment building at 106 Spring St. at about 1:30 a.m. on Wed., Jan. 16 when a man approached him from behind. As he reached the elevator, the stranger pointed something into his back and said, “Let’s make this very simple.”
They both entered the elevator where the victim handed over his wallet. The robber took the cash out and then asked if there was any more. He searched the victim, taking more cash and his black iPhone 4S. When the doors opened on the second floor the victim ran to his apartment. The robber attempted to follow him inside as his father was shutting the door, but the victim kicked him and managed to close it.
The robber reportedly fled down the stairs and turned westbound on Spring, where he got into a yellow cab. The robber was described as male, Hispanic, 6’2”, with a goatee, wearing baggy jeans, a black puffy hooded coat and red brimmed baseball cap. He displayed a black semi-automatic pistol on surveillance video.
Grand theft motorcycle
There were two grand theft auto cases of motorcycles parked overnight on Friday and Saturday.
A blue 2009 Kawasaki motorcycle was stolen from outside the owner’s workplace on Fri., Jan. 18. The 28-year-old man said he had driven the motorcycle to work and parked it outside 89 Reade St. at 5:15 p.m. and then went in for an overnight shift. At 4:15 a.m., he emerged to find it had been stolen. The victim said he had removed the New York registration prior to the theft. A police canvas turned up no results on the $7,500 motorcycle.
The next day, a black 2011 Husqvarna motorcycle was reported stolen after being parked outside 68 Warren St. on Saturday. The motorcycle’s owner, 55, stated that he parked it on the public sidewalk at 10:30 p.m. on Sat., Jan. 19, but when he returned for it at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, it was gone. He told police he did not owe any summonses. The motorcycle, worth $6,000, had New Hampshire plates.
Bike-riding robbers
A young man was punched on his way into his girlfriend’s apartment building by two men on bicycles.
The 29-year-old was about to enter the residential building at 34 Watts St. when he told police he was approached by two men, one on a white bicycle and the other on a smaller red bike, either a child’s model or a stunt bike. The victim said he was punched in the face by one of them, though he could not determine which, and his iPhone 5 was stolen. Police reported that the robbers then fled east on Broome St. A bartender next door at Circa Tabac witnessed the incident. A police stop was conducted at West Broadway and Canal but no arrests were made.
AT&T turned cell his phone service off but there was no tracking software on the device.
Shoplifters swarm boutique
No fewer than 10 shoplifters hit a Soho clothing boutique, but only got away with two items when an employee sounded the alarm.
Two employees of Runway Couture at 450 Broome St. told police that they witnessed a shoplifting gang make off with merchandise on Wed., Jan. 16. At about 7 p.m., one of the employees noticed the group of men and women, aged about 20-30, enter the store. The other employee observed that one woman had what appeared to be an empty shoulder bag. Not long after, he noticed that her shoulder bag was bulging and there was an empty hanger next to her. The employee yelled for help, causing the group to run for the exit.
On the way out, a man jumped up and grabbed a Louis Vuitton purse from the top shelf. They all piled into a black SUV with New York plates and took off. Besides the $1,300 vintage Louis Vuitton bag, they also stole a $1,500 mink jacket.
Shoe store steals
Love of shoes is a fine thing, but letting it make you careless may lead to replacing other things.
A 23-year-old Norwegian woman reported that her bag had been taken while she went to pay for her merchandise in ALDO Shoes at 579 Broadway. The theft occurred at about 7:25 p.m. on Mon., Jan. 14. The Mulberry bag was worth $1,350 alone, and contained $40 Marc Jacobs perfume, $100 gloves, $50 L’Occitane soap and her $850 iPhone which was cancelled late due to the time difference between New York and Norway.
Another woman, 34, lost her phone in T.J. Maxx’s shoe section in December, where video surveillance now shows it was picked up by a couple, whose decision to keep the device led to their arrest. The woman reported that she had dropped her $400 iPhone 4S at the department store, located at 14 Wall St.
Police say video footage shows another woman pick up a cell phone in the same place the victim reportedly dropped hers. The woman gives the phone to a man, who uses it to make a call, which is verified by the victim’s phone records. The couple finishes their shopping and leaves the store, taking the phone with them.
The couple was arrested on Jan. 15, police reported, and the iPhone recovered.
Yoga studio
There was no peace and relaxation for one student when she found her belongings stolen from the changing room of her yoga studio.
Locker room larceny is an ongoing problem for Lower Manhattan, but it has been mostly reported in gyms. This time, the thief hit the Kula Yoga Project at 28 Warren St. The victim, 33, said she put her purse in the studio’s changing area at about 1:30 p.m. on Fri., Jan. 18. After class, she returned to find her property was gone. An employee of Kula Yoga reported that a man entered the studio during that time and was acting suspiciously. He filled out an application with his name but wrote no address, and left without attending a class.
The victim cancelled her debit and credit cards. She also lost a $200 bag and $620 in property, cash and checks.
Thief takes what suits him
An employee of My Suit clothing store was robbed by one of his “customers” who told him that he was waiting for his father.
The employee, 30, told police that the thief entered the 30 Broad St. shop at about 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 17 and told him, “I’m waiting for my dad to get fitted.” When the employee went to help other customers, the thief entered the back office and took a Dell laptop, MetroCard, debit card, cash and attempted to take the Apple iPad that was bolted to the countertop. The employee stated that the thief then walked out carrying a black plastic bag. The employee also told police that his card had been charged for $9.78 at MacDonald’s.
—Kaitlyn Meade
