By Chriss Williams
19th PRECINCT
Stolen identity on Valentine’s Day
An Upper East Side resident received an unexpected email on Valentine’s Day. According to police, the 45-year-old woman received a message from her bank on Friday, Feb. 14, stating there was a change in her credit report. Upon investigation, she learned she was the victim of identity theft. An unknown person opened a Macy’s store credit card in the woman’s name on January 31, using the address of her parent’s home outside of the city. The card was used three times racking up $3,343.93 in charges. The victim informed police of the incident on Feb. 21. An investigation is ongoing.
Joy ride ends in arrest
Cops arrested 27-year-old Geridson R. Abreu Sunday, Feb. 23 after he was allegedly found in possession of a stolen Yamaha ATV. Officers responded to a radio call to assist a disabled vehicle in front of 345 East 80 street at about 4:45 p.m. When they ran the Vehicle Identification Number in their computer system, they learned the ATV had been reported stolen by Brooklyn PD. Abreu allegedly told police that the ATV belonged to his friend. When it broke down, he called for a tow truck. Police arrested Abreu for possession of stolen property.
Package Prowler Arrested
On Saturday, Feb. 2, a concerned 29-year-old resident observed an unknown man in possession of multiple packages inside 319 East 78 Street. When authorities arrived, Christophe Greene, 58, was allegedly removing packages from the building. Greene is allegedly known to authorities for his involvement in previous burglaries in the area. At about 3:30 p.m., Greene was arrested at the scene.
Bike theft witnesses hold suspect
A 20-year-old man making deliveries at 215 East 68 street locked his electronic bike, valued at $1,650, to a metal signpost outside the building on Friday, Feb. 21. According to police, a Bronx resident Marvin Lemus, 35, allegedly tried to steal the e-bike but was stopped by two witnesses around 8:05 p.m. The men called authorities and held Lemus until they arrived. Lemus was arrested at the site and charged with grand larceny.
A polite burglar
A resident of an East End building with a doorman on duty was studying in his bedroom early morning Friday, Feb. 14 when he heard a suspicious noise inside his unlocked apartment. When he left his room, he allegedly observed 77-year-old Victor Harrison leaving and followed him into the hallway. Harrison allegedly hid behind a stairway door when the 25-year-old resident asked that he identify himself. Harrison gave his name but did not respond to why he had entered the residence. He fled on foot. The victim noticed his iPhone missing and contacted authorities. The phone was tracked to Carl Schurz Park. Authorities stopped a Harrison on East 90 St. and First Ave. and arrested him on-site on charges of burglary at about 6 a.m.
Brothers threatened
Two twenty-something brothers walking near Second Ave and East 94 street were approached and threatened by two unknown men with a knife and a female on Saturday, Feb. 17. According to police, when one of the victim’s phone fell out of his pocket, Lidia De La Rosa Valdez, 38 allegedly picked it up and fled the location with the other two men around 5 p.m. Valdez and Delvin Centeno, 38, were arrested by officers canvassing the area on robbery charges. The third man was not apprehended. The victim’s iPhone X was recovered on the scene.
20th PRECINCT
Purse snatcher targets shopping cart
On Friday, Feb. 21 a woman shopping inside Trader Joe’s at 2073 Broadway had her purse stolen. According to police, at around 6:18 p.m., the 55-year-old Manhattanite had turned away from her cart for a few minutes, when the unknown purse snatcher made their move and grabbed her bag from the cart.
Bombshell quartet
A quartet of female shoplifters entered Victoria’s Secret located at 2333 Broadway on Thursday, Feb. 20. According to police, at around 3:59 p.m., the women cleared a shelf of 21 bottles of Bombshell Intense Perfume, worth over $1200 before fleeing store by foot. An investigation is still ongoing.
Scammed thrice
Police are looking for three men who scammed an elderly Upper West man out of almost $20,000 on Friday, Feb. 21 and Saturday, Feb. 22. The 94-year-old resident of 10 West 66 street received multiple phone calls starting around noon on Friday. The first caller told the elderly man that a friend who lives in Florida was in a car accident and needed $8,500 in cash for expenses. Shortly after the first call, a second caller asked the man for $5,000 for the same reason. The victim withdrew the money at a nearby Chase bank and met the men separately in the lobby of the building that afternoon. The next day, the victim was contacted by a third caller who asked the Upper West Side resident to withdraw $6,000 in cash after using the same phony, Floridian friend story. The victim once again obliged and met another unknown ma in the lobby.
Study session doesn’t pay off
A student at New York Institute of Technology college located at 1855 Broadway is the victim of a laptop theft. The 28-year-old Queens resident was studying inside the library at around 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21. According to police, he left his laptop unattended to use the restroom. When he returned, his black, MacBook Pro was missing. The case remains open.
Thief with unusual dentition wanted
Police are looking for a 48-year-old female with “unusual teeth,” in connection with grand larceny theft at Intermix located at 210 Columbus Ave. The woman was observed entering the store at around 2:30 p.m., on Wednesday, Feb. 19 and removing 5 pairs of jeans valued at $1235, before exiting the store and fleeing southbound on Columbus Ave.
