CELL PHONE TO JAIL CELL
A Queens man tried to rape a woman at a luxury hotel in Battery Park City last weekend, but was arrested after returning to the scene of the crime to grab his cellphone, police say.
The 31-year-old tried to force himself on a 20-year-old acquaintance at the Conrad New York Hotel on North End Ave. around 6:40 a.m. on Sunday Mar. 27, but was fought off by the woman’s female friend, according to police.
After a struggle, which left one of the women with minor injuries, the fiend fled from the hotel, but later that morning returned to retrieve his phone — only to encounter the women along with a group of cops, who promptly arrested him, according to reports.
He was charged with attempted rape, attempted grand larceny — for trying to steal cash and one of the women’s phones — attempted unlawful imprisonment, assault and criminal mischief, according to police.
The New York Post reported that the three knew each other and had been out partying before crashing at the hotel.
EARLY-MORNING HOLDUP
Three perps robbed a woman in Tribeca in the wee hours of Saturday Mar. 26, police say.
The 29-year-old victim from Queens told police that the men surrounded her in front of Sophie’s Restaurant, a Cuban eatery on Chambers St., as she was walking by shortly after 1 a.m.
When one of them demanded “Let me see what you got,” she pulled out her wallet and the muggers fled with $110 in cash, according to police.
CAB JOB
A less-than-careful Uber driver had his car cleaned out while he stopped for a bathroom break in Battery Park City, police say.
The 49-year-old from Queens told police that he double-parked his car in front of the Conrad New York Hotel on North End Ave. around 12:45 p.m. on Thursday Mar. 24.
When he returned to the vehicle, he noticed that someone had swiped his driver’s license, six credit cards, and his Uber-issued iPhone — as well as a ticket for reckless driving — according to a report.
CITIBIKE
Three Citibikes were stolen last Friday in two separate incidents in the Seaport and Battery Park City, according to police.
A 22-year-old tourist from Japan reported that he tried to return his ride to a CitiBike station at the northwest corner of West and Chambers Sts. at 2:45 p.m., but was surprised by two men who yanked the $1,200 bike out of its dock before he could lock it.
Later that day, at 11 p.m., a 27-year-old woman from Queens left two CitiBikes unlocked outside the Cowgirl Sea-Horse restaurant on Front St. under the Brooklyn Bridge to use the bathroom inside the eatery, police say.
When she returned around 15 minutes later, both bikes were gone without a trace, according to police.
-— Yannic Rack
