Daily Archives: August 26, 2019

Woman arrested for package thefts

By Maria Rocha-Buschel

Police arrested a woman last week for package thefts in Gramercy, Flatiron and Kips Bay that took place earlier this year.

Diana Anduja, 47, was caught outside 61 Lexington Avenue on Tuesday, August 13 at 3:20 p.m. after police said that she had removed four packages from the building’s lobby.

She reportedly did not have permission to be inside the building and when she was stopped, she was allegedly in possession of the packages, in addition to a crack pipe with alleged drug residue.

After she was arrested, Anduja was charged in connection with three other burglaries that allegedly took place in residential buildings throughout the area.

Continue reading →

Con Edison making repairs after manhole fires

Con Ed made repairs on Third Avenue following manhole fires on East 19th Street earlier this month. (Photos by Maria Rocha-Buschel)

By Maria Rocha-Buschel

Con Edison is making repairs on East 19th Street after a manhole fire in front of 151 East 19th Street on August 8 caused damage to the underground electrical system.

A resident of 201 East 19th Street resident told Town & Village this week that it sounded like an explosion on the street, along with black smoke and a power outage across the street from her apartment. She said that she didn’t lose power in her apartment, but noted that the lights did flicker.

Con Ed spokesperson Sidney Alvarez said that loss of power or damage to the underground equipment can sometimes create a loud clang but the incident was a manhole fire on the street and not an explosion.

“Sometimes this [kind of incident] could sound like an explosion and there could have been a lot of smoke that could look very severe to the general public,” Alvarez said. “We responded to multiple manhole fires at that location and there were no injuries reported and no property damage.”

Continue reading →