Grand Larceny: Moving target takes hit in the wallet
Wheels in motion weren’t enough to deter a thief from pinching the wallet of a vacationer from pedal-centric (and petal-plentiful) Holland. The 30-year-old was making his way down Eighth Ave. on a CitiBike, at around 12:15pm on Sun., Oct. 27. While nearing the corner of 26th St., he felt a person pull on the right side of his sweater — causing his iPad (which was balanced on the handlebar rack) to fall off. The man stopped to pick up the iPad, and then realized his wallet had been removed from his sweater pocket. The criminal’s smooth maneuver was a costly one for the victim, who was out $580 ($300 for his black Paul Smith brand wallet, and $280 in cash). Damages were also sustained to the iPad.
Criminal Trespassing: Occupant ignored vacate order
In mid-October, the NYC Department of Buildings issued a vacate order for the building at 92 Eighth Ave. (btw. 14th & 15th Sts.), whose facade collapsed during Hurricane Sandy. Just over two weeks later, police charged a 21-year-old man with entering and remaining illegally in the building. A day before his Oct. 27 arrest, the man was escorted from the premises (along with several others), and told by the super and the police not to return.
Burglary: Chelsea Hotel’s Copper Caper
Stanley Bard might have run a loose ship, but the Chelsea Hotel’s unceremoniously canned longtime captain usually had a pretty strong grip on the keys to his kingdom. Not so on Fri., Oct. 25 — when a scenario smelling of an inside job cost the iconic building’s current owners a cool $7,000. That’s the estimated value of the copper fittings stolen from a storage room. Police were told that five people have keys to the room’s padlock — and one additional key was lost. Upon checking surveillance footage from unblinking eyes throughout the building, it was discovered that the camera focused on the area where the incident took place had been turned in the opposite direction. No one was authorized to be in the storage room at the time of the incident — and no prints could be taken from the scene.
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance: Card-carrying criminal
At 4pm on Mon., Oct. 28, police approached a 53-year-old man sprawled out on a bench in Chelsea Park (9th to 10th Aves., btw. W. 27th & W. 28th Sts.). Obstruction was the offense — but the charge was upgraded, when the man was found to be in possession of a stolen credit card and a quantity of marijuana.
Robbery: Cash recovered after ATM grab
A “loaded finger crime” netted a 53-year-old man $800 — for a few minutes, at least. The man was arrested on the southeast corner of 9th Ave. & W. 26th St., shortly after 1:30am on Fri., Oct. 25. That’s where he fled to, after having approached two females (ages 28 & 25) just moments before, at an ATM on W. 25th St., btw. 8th & 9th Aves. The man, who simulated a firearm by making the shape of a pistol with his hand (and placing it inside an article of clothing) told the victims that he would shoot them if they didn’t give him money. They gave him $800 — at which point the man attempted (unsuccessfully) to remove an additional $20 from one of the victim’s hands. He fled westbound on W. 25th St. and was caught based on a description given to police. The $800 was recovered and returned to its rightful owner.
Obstruction of Government Administration: He clings to Beamer
A Californian and his car are soon parted — at least when the NYC Department of Transportation is determined to give him the boot. At 8:30pm on Tues., Oct. 29, the 26-year-old Golden State resident caused a scene at the northeast corner of 12th Ave. & W. 38th St. According to police, the decidedly unmellow dude “entered his vehicle [a black 2009 BMW] and refused to leave, preventing the tow truck operator from performing his lawful duty.”
—Scott Stiffler
