Robbed at knifepoint
A woman was robbed at knifepoint two weeks ago in the Financial District, police say.
The woman, 32, had just gotten out money from an A.T.M. near Fulton St. and Broadway on Mon., June 15 at 8 p.m., police say. A man asked her for directions and while she was distracted another man — described as late 30s, 6’1″ and wearing a hat, glasses and a plaid button-up shirt — brandished a knife and said, “Give me everything,” according to police.
The Upper East Side resident handed over $800 and her jewelry — a ring, bracelet, chain and pendant — to the thief, who then fled toward Church St. It is unclear if the two men were working together.
Mugger punches woman
A woman was walking in Soho when a man attacked her from behind and snatched her purse on a recent Tuesday evening.
The 21-year-old victim was walking on 6th Ave. on Tues., June 16 at 11:20 p.m., when a man ran up behind her, punched her on the right cheek and then grabbed her white Italian bag, police say. The purse was worth $200, and the thief also got her $70 Coco Chanel perfume and her iPhone charger.
The woman, who lives in Soho, told police that she had made eye contact with her attacker, who she said was wearing a bright teal shirt and plaid shorts and has a muscular build. Police say he followed her down the street before he struck.
Car break-in nets 30 grand
It is hard to say if the thief that broke into a black car parked in front of 70 Mercer St. was lucky or clever. Either way, he got away with $32,830 worth of stuff.
A man, 39, parked his 2014 car in front of his building in Soho on Wed., June 24 a little after midnight, police say. When he returned to his car the next day, it had been broken into.
The man was able to get video from a nearby building that showed a 5’7” man use some sort of unknown device to unlock his car, snatch the stuff and flee on foot. The suspect got two Brioni suits valued at $12,800, $950 Cartier sunglasses, tennis racket, bag and balls worth $1,250, a $30 umbrella, a travel bag with clothes, a computer and headphones valued at $4,000 as well as a $12,500 Corum watch.
The man told police that he had locked his car and that even if he didn’t, it automatically locks after five minutes of inactivity.
Perilous cab ride?
It’s a party night gone wrong.
On Sat., June 27, a 24-year-old man was hanging out at Libation at 137 Ludlow St. in the Lower East Side when he decided it was time to head home to Long Beach.
He got into a cab around 12:30 a.m. and the driver stopped at a gas station. While there, the cabbie convinced his passenger to hand over his debit card information, police say.
The next thing he knew, the man woke up on the sidewalk near 11 Broadway in the Financial District with his wallet and $620 iPhone gone, police say. Inside the wallet was his $290 L.I.R.R. pass, a $30 MetroCard and his debit card, which was used by the thief to withdraw an unspecified amount of money.
MAN scuffles with cops
On Sat., June 27, at 1:30 p.m. a police officer by City Hall Park said he noticed a food cart at the corner of Park Row and Centre St. did not have the valid Parks Dept. permit. When the vendor was asked for identification, a nearby man said, “Don’t give them ID,” according to police.
Police say the bystander then got into the two officers’ faces and shouted obscenities. Backup was called and the man, 29, was arrested — but not before he allegedly resisted arrest and kicked one of the cops in the face.
‘Bad teeth’ thief
A Seaport resident was walking home on Sat., June 27 at 6:45 p.m. when he noticed another man had followed him from the Fulton St. station.
The man, 22, had just got off the 3 train and was going to his building on Front St. between Beekman St. and Peck Slip. The suspect — described to police as wearing a grey hoodie, black pants and having “bad teeth” and a mustache — followed him into his building’s vestibule. While he called 911, the thief stole his passport and Visa card and fled.
Police say the victim appeared to be intoxicated.
Another cabbie robbed
It was a bad month for cabbies.
On Mon. June 15, at 10:30 p.m., a taxi driver picked up a woman on W. 9th and 6th Ave. He let her sit up front because she said she had pain in her legs. She asked him to drive to Brooklyn but along the way, kept taking him down random streets.
When the driver, 38 and from Queens, got to the corner of Church and Walker Sts. in Tribeca, the woman jumped out and said, “I can’t pay.” Not only did she not pay her fare — she stole his credit cards and $300 from his backpack.
Earlier this month, another taxi driver was robbed by a female passenger, who also sat up front with him. Police did not say the two crimes were connected.
Simultaneous sunglass swipes
The sun is shining and Soho shoplifters have turned their attention to boosting expensive sunglasses.
On Wed., June 17, two teams of two men went into Soho shops and grabbed the pricey shades — at the same time, 2:05 p.m.
One theft took place at Ilori, a luxury eyewear store at 138 Spring St. A male employee, 31, told police two men who looked around 30 and who were bald, came into the store and stole six pairs of sunglasses worth a total of $5,385. At Silver Lining Opticians at 92 Thompson St., the men, described as around 40, stole sunglasses and glasses worth $2,020.
No word if they were coordinated thefts.
The N.Y.P.D. released a photo of this suspect, whom they later identified as Tyrelle Shaw, now deceased.
Suspect in attacks on Asian women dies
A man who was targeting and attacking Asian women throughout Manhattan committed suicide last week, police say.
Tyrelle Shaw, 25, was found dead in an Upper East Side building on Mon., June 22.
Police say Shaw’s first attack took place on Wed., June 10 at 4:15 p.m. near 155 Grand St. When he tried to speak with a woman, who is 35 and Asian, she ignored him. He left but then returned with a white plastic bag that contained a hard object and struck the woman in the face, according to police. She was taken to a Lower Manhattan Hospital and then released.
This pattern was repeated with at least three other Asian women being attacked — in Chinatown, Kips Bay and the Upper East Side.
Before Shaw’s suicide, Councilmember Margaret Chin of Lower Manhattan issued a call for information that could help the police capture him.
“As an Asian woman, I am personally disgusted by these racially-targeted attacks,” Chin said in a June 17 statement. “These are clearly acts of hate and ignorance.”
In a blog post, Shaw described the attacks as “a game” and said he “couldn’t understand why Asian women didn’t find me attractive,” several news outlets reported.
— DUSICA SUE MALESEVIC
