Subway Samsung bandits
Sixth Precinct police say a group of young thugs, four males between the ages of 16 and 21, have been stealing cell phones from people in the F/M/L subway station at 14th St. and Sixth Ave.
On Tues., Feb. 10, at about 8 p.m. they reportedly swiped a Samsung Galaxy phone from a 48-year-old man.
Three minutes later, they filched an iPhone 6 from a woman, age 40.
On Mon., March 2, at about 10:15 p.m., they victimized a 38-year-old woman, making off with her Samsung Galaxy phone, according to police.
On Tues., March 3, at about 5:20 p.m., they targeted a 33-year-old woman, absconding with her Samsung Galaxy phone.
Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to call the 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 by texting them to 274637(CRIMES) and then entering TIP577.
Rug tale unravels
A mystery of missing rugs concluded on March 11 with the revelation that a neighbor had lifted the goods.
A 31-year-old woman alerted police on March 4 to the caper after she arrived home to find an expected delivery from UPS was missing. An e-mail notification confirmed that a woven rug valued at $1,509 and a hand-knit one worth $1,989 were delivered to her residence at 190 Waverly Place. However, the fancy floor coverings were nowhere to be found at about 3:30 p.m. that day.
Police interviewed people in the building, including Wesley Murphy, 35, who said at that time that he had no knowledge of the missing carpets. Several days later, the rugs suddenly reappeared in the hallway.
Days later, Murphy was arrested for an unrelated minor offense, according to police. He then allegedly confessed that he took the rugs, explaining that he had believed that they were rubbish that would be discarded. He was charged with felony grand larceny.
Rock thrower caught
Police tossed a 21-year-old in the slammer after he allegedly threw a rock at a man’s automobile just before 1 a.m. on Sat., March 14. The impact caused more than $250 in damage to the vehicle, which was near the front of 216 Bowery at the time. John Taormina was charged with felony criminal mischief.
Withdrawal got weird
Neither violence nor threats were needed to cajole a 22-year-old man into letting another man accompany him to an ATM located at 320 W. 14th St. Police said Ramel Davis, 26, then asked the other man to withdraw money, only to attempt to take it as the man was putting the cash into his wallet. Davis then allegedly grabbed the victim’s debit card from a pocket.
The two men, along with another man, then began arguing, which drew the attention of nearby police. When the cops got closer, Davis cupped the debit card in his hand against the victim’s chest, police said. Davis was charged with felony grand larceny. It was unclear from a police report who the third man was.
Feels the gravity
Police seized a gravity knife after stopping a man who was observed illegally moving between train cars at the subway station at Eighth Ave. and W. 14th St. The weapon was found in the man’s right, front pocket at about 9:30 p.m. on Wed., March 11, police said. Dane West, 52, who was described as a “transit recidivist,” was charged with felony criminal weapon possession. (A gravity knife is any knife that can be opened with a flick of one hand.)
‘Get on the ground!’
A train operator alerted police on Sat., March 14, that a man was sleeping with an exposed firearm on a northbound A train. Police arrived at about 8:45 a.m. at the W. Fourth St. station platform, where the witness identified the suspect to police by his distinctive black jacket featuring red and white stripes.
The officers did not take any chances when they found the man walking there.
“Police! Get on the ground!” they ordered, according to a report of the incident. The man complied and kneeled. He was promptly taken into custody.
Police reportedly found a .40-caliber Glock handgun and 14 rounds of ammunition on the suspect’s person. Kenneth McIntosh, 27, was charged with felony criminal weapon possession.
Whiskey wild woman
On Sun., March 8, a 33-year-old man had a verbal dispute with a woman who was accompanied by another male inside Whiskey Ward, at 121 Essex St., when the first man asked the woman to leave the bar. The female struck him in the head with a glass bottle, causing minor lacerations, police said. The victim was removed to Woodhull Hospital where he was treated for his injuries. Police are looking for the female suspect.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the 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 by texting them to 274637(CRIMES) and then entering TIP577.
— Zach Williams and Lincoln Anderson
