Shoplifters’ hits & runs
As the weather gets cooler, it seems shoplifters had both function and fashion on their minds when they walked out of Soho stores.
Police arrested an 18-year-old male on Wed., Sept. 25 for robbery after hitting an employee and attempting to take a $433 Demobaza jacket without paying for it. An employee of Lazaro SoHo, a boutique at 457 Broome St., reported to police that the teen walked into the store at about 11:40 a.m.
The employee said he noticed the theft occurring and tried to stop it and get the jacket back. When he did, the teen punched him, causing a cut to the left side of his face, police said..
The suspect fled and was apprehended outside of 114 Kenmare St. A can of mace was recovered from his pocket.
In a separate incident earlier this month, a pack of shoplifters got a five-finger discount at a sample sale. An employee of the temporary shop at 356 West Broadway, told police that four people entered at about 5:55 p.m. on Wed., Sept. 11, and appeared to be shopping around. Two men entered first, followed by two women. When the two women approached the door about ten minutes later, one of them reached out and grabbed a blue Moncler bomber-style jacket, valued at $1050.
Both of them then ran out of the location, followed by the two men. Witnesses saw them pile into a gray Chevrolet Blazer van and drive off. They were last seen on Grand St. Police conducted a canvass, but did not turn up results.
Subway thieves
Police grabbed one cell phone thief in the subway system on Saturday, but a different snatcher got away on the A/ C/E line that day, police reported.
On Sat., Sept. 28, police arrested a 46-year-old woman for theft, after an officer observed her prying a cell phone from the hands of a sleeping passenger, police said.
The victim, a 23-year-old man, had fallen asleep on a northbound E train at about 3:50 a.m., according to the N.Y.P.D. The officer reported seeing a woman sit down next to the dozing traveler, and carefully remove a Samsung Galaxy 4S cell phone, worth $200, from the victim’s hand. She then slid the cell into her own pants pocket. She was arrested and charged with grand larceny, police said. The cell was recovered and returned to its rightful owner.
A Brooklyn man reported to police that his phone was stolen on Saturday as well. The 51-year-old victim said he was riding a southbound A train at about 11:18 a.m. that morning when another man got on board and drew near to where he was sitting. Suddenly, he grabbed the man’s phone and fled into the Fulton St. station at Nassau St. in Lower Manhattan.
The man was described as wearing a green shirt, grey jeans and black sneakers. A police canvass did not produce results. Police said that the phone did not possess tracking software.
Citi Bike stolen
One cyclist was not prepared for the “share” part of the bike share program to be taken so literally, when a stranger grabbed a Citi Bike that the cyclist was using.
The man, 28, told police that he had been attempting to get a blue bike on Fri., Sept. 27, at about 2:05 p.m. He was punching in the code at a kiosk on the northwest corner of West and Chambers Sts. when a man came up from behind him, grabbed the bicycle, and rode away. Citi Bike members are liable for up to $1,200 for a stolen bike although police listed the value at $1,500.
Car break-in
A car parked near City Hall on Sunday was broken into on Sunday, police said. The victim, 24, reported leaving his Chevrolet Impala sedan unlocked and unattended for about five minutes at 8 p.m. on Sun., Sept. 29. The car was parked in front of 15 Park Row near City Hall Park.
Sometime in those five minutes, he said someone went in and took his $1,500 Apple MacBook Pro from the front passenger-side seat. A police canvass did not turn up results, but police did report having surveillance of the scene.
— KAITLYN MEADE
