Soho baby daycare death
On his first day in daycare, a 3-month-old boy died Mon., July 13, at an unlicensed operator in Soho, police said.
Police were called a little after noon to Soho Child Care at 69 Greene St., and the baby, Karl Towndrow of Brooklyn Heights, was taken to Lenox Hill Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
During that morning, the boy had been given a bottle and was put down to nap, according to several news reports. When the daycare’s owner, Maryellen Strautmanis, went to check on the infant, his lips were blue and 911 was called, according to reports.
The daycare was unlicensed, according to police, which could mean that certification for emergency procedures, such as administering C.P.R., were not in place.
Police said that there is no criminality suspected, though the city Administration of Children’s Services is reportedly investigating the matter. The medical examiner is investigating the cause of death.
Jefferson St. shooting
According to police, on Sun., July 12, at 3:35 a.m., a 34-year-old Manhattan man was shot once in the left leg in the rear courtyard at 65 Jefferson St. in the LaGuardia Houses. He was removed to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition. Police did not provide a description of any suspects or the motive. An investigation is ongoing.
Mugged for her bag
A 30-year-old woman was walking near the northwest corner of W. Houston St. and Broadway just before 4:30 a.m. on Sun., July 12, when she was accosted by a group of three young men and one woman.
“Give me your f—ing bag,” one of the assailants said to the woman, according to a police report.
The victim resisted and in response was punched several times in the face and head by the attackers. At least three witnesses observed the incident. They described the suspects for police and the robbers’ vehicle, a 2005 Dodge Stratus, and gave the license plate number.
Police caught up with the silver, four-door sedan nearby. A search of the vehicle allegedly revealed a Brazilian-made 9-millimeter pistol in the glove compartment. Police arrested Barshae Cherry, 22; Ernest Wilson, 22; Shanee Spence, 22; and a 16-year-old girl in connection with the incident. They were all charged with felony robbery.
Drunk means ‘No’
In front of 548 LaGuardia Place was where Adeniyi Silva, 33, allegedly sexually violated a 30-year-old woman on Sat., July 11. Police said the victim was drunk and incapable of consenting to the reported sexual contact, which occurred at about 2:30 a.m. A police report did not state whether Silva also had too much to drink. He was arrested and charged with felony sexual abuse.
W. 14th St. beating
Police are not sure what the attacker said or the relationship he had with his victim. But John Goyco, 22, certainly got the better of a 30-year-old New Jersey resident in the early morning hours of Mon., July 6, in front of 458 W. 14th St. Around 2:45 a.m., Goyco reportedly struck the other man repeatedly in the face and head, resulting in bruises and pain. The victim, an Upstate resident, declined medical attention but did file a complaint against Goyco, who was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault.
Fashionable tagger
Sandro, a Parisian fashion house, inspired a Virginia man to allegedly pursue low-level crime in commemoration of Bastille Day. Police said that Boris Stubbs, 35, hit the Village streets with graffiti on his mind. The cops encountered him near the southwest corner of W. 11th and Bleecker Sts., around 3:30 a.m. on Sat., July 11, as he reportedly tagged a street light with “Let them paint #SandroBastille.”
The phrase stems from a promotion urging the fashion company’s fans to snap photos when they came across posters with the phrase and post them on Instagram. The person whose photo got the most “likes” stood to win an invite to Sandro’s Bastille Day party and a $500 gift card.
Stubbs admitted to police that the street light, was not the first place he tagged that night, according to a report. He was charged with making graffiti, a misdemeanor charge.
Security firm saves day
A purse-snatcher was caught in the East Village last Thursday thanks to a security firm technician who apparently takes his job description very seriously.
Matthew Gonzales, of Top Notch Security on Avenue B, didn’t hesitate to sprint after the perpetrator when he saw him grabbing the purse and a laptop from a woman sitting in front of Wafels & Dinges across the street, causing her to fall.
Gonzales said he had been watching the thief after recognizing him from security footage that only hours earlier had been pulled by detectives looking for the man: The same man had been caught on camera allegedly stealing a purse on Sun., July 5.
This time, the chase was also captured and the video shows Gonzales carefully running alongside the surprised culprit. After they turn around the corner at Houston and Avenue B, roughly 10 more men can be seen joining in the pursuit, among them four more Top Notch Security employees.
By that time, three undercover police officers who were looking for the suspect tackled and arrested him, according to another store employee.
The employee added that cops said they had been looking for this particular snatcher for six months. The suspect was charged with grand larceny and robbery for the July 5 and 9 incidents, respectively.
Anti-Muslim attack
Police said that on Sat., July 11, at about 10:40 p.m., a 19-year-old woman was approached by an unidentified man in front of 109 East Broadway, and they became engaged in a verbal dispute. The man reportedly made anti-Muslim statements and then started to spit and punch the victim in the face. He then continued walking on Eldridge St. and fled to parts unknown. The woman suffered a fractured jaw and was transported to Beth Israel Hospital in stable condition.
The suspect is described as a black man, about 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10 tall, wearing a hat, pants and shirt that were all dark colored and carrying a plastic bag. Police posted video of the suspect walking on Eldridge St. and in Chinatown after the incident.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the New York Police Department’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Web site, www.nypdcrimestoppers.com, or texting to 274637(CRIMES) and then entering TIP577. All tips are confidential.
— Zach Williams , Yannic Rack, Dusica Sue Malesevic and Lincoln Anderson
