Category Archives: Crime

Police Watch: Gunman wanted to adult video store robbery

GUNMAN ROBS ADULT VIDEO STORE
Cops are looking for a man involved in a gunpoint robbery that took place in a Sixth Avenue adult video store in April. Police said that the unidentified man strolled up to a 50-year-old employee of the store at 725 Sixth Avenue at West 24th Street on Sunday, April 22 at 2:50 a.m., pulled out a gun and demanded the contents of the cash register. The man reportedly got $900 from the employee and fled north on Sixth Avenue.
The suspect is described as black, in his 20s, approximately 5’5” and 145 lbs. He was last seen wearing a dark cap, a dark hooded sweat jacket and light-colored pants.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.

MEN ARRESTED FOR DRIVING WITH SUSPENDED LICENSES AFTER ACCIDENTS
Police arrested 49-year-old Rafael Torres for an alleged traffic infraction in front of 505 East 14th Street on Thursday, May 10 at 1:17 p.m. Police said that Torres was involved in a crash at the location with injuries and Torres was allegedly driving a white box truck. Police said that he didn’t provide proof of insurance and he allegedly had a suspended driver’s license.
Another man was arrested after a collision in front of 400 Second Avenue on Thursday, May 10 at 3:05 p.m. Police said that 44-year-old Martin Rodriguez was involved in a crash at the location and his privilege to drive in New York State had allegedly been suspended previously.
Both men were charged with unclassified traffic misdemeanors.

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Pair charged with robberies at 16th St. spa

Spring Garden Spa (Photo via Google Maps)

By Maria Rocha-Buschel

Police arrested two people and are looking for a third in connection with multiple robberies that took place at an East 16th Street spa since the end of April.

Police said that 20-year-old Shaquasha Goldstein and 33-year-old Eric Dineen, who were caught outside the Papaya Dog at 239 First Avenue last Saturday at 6:43 p.m., allegedly used deception to get inside the Spring Garden Spa at 344 East 16th Street, west of First Avenue, on multiple occasions to steal cash from the register.

Police said that Dineen and the person who wasn’t arrested rang the bell at the business on Friday, May 4 at 10:30 p.m.

When the victim answered the door, Dineen allegedly pushed the employee to get inside with Goldstein and the third person. Police said there is video surveillance of Dineen entering the business.

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Burglar stole booze from restaurant

Burglary suspect

By Sabina Mollot

Police are looking for a man who broke into Javelina, a Tex-Mex restaurant at 119 East 18th Street, who is believed to have stolen nearly $800 worth of alcohol.

It’s unknown how the man got in, but he was seen in surveillance footage at 1:40 a.m. on Sunday, April 22, after employees had left. Cops said he left with two black garbage bags filled with bottles of alcohol.

There is no description of the suspect but a photo released by the NYPD shows a dark-eyed man who could be in his 20s or 30s with dark facial hair.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Crimestoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.

Woman stole cash and register from restaurant

Burglary suspect

By Sabina Mollot

Cops are looking for a female burglar who broke into a restaurant in Union Square and stole cash.

On March 30 at about 4:15 a.m., police said the woman got into the basement of Trece, a Mexican restaurant and bar at 53 East 13th Street near Broadway, through an unsecured door. Once inside she took a cash register, which according to police, contained $300.

A worker at the restaurant told Town & Village the actual amount was $1,000, because it also contained envelopes containing employees’ pay.

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Two suspects arrested for potentially bias-related assaults in Union Square

Suspect Willie Ames

By Maria Rocha-Buschel

Police arrested two men in the last week in unrelated incidents in Union Square after their alleged erratic behavior landed victims in the hospital.

Willie Ames, 47, was collared last Thursday for allegedly pushing a construction worker into the subway tracks at the Union Square station after making derogatory comments about his ethnicity earlier last month, and the New York Post noted that 34-year-old Anthony Powell was arrested this past Sunday night after he allegedly caused a panic at the Union Square Regal movie theater, reportedly strangling one of the people who was attempting to flee.

Police said that Ames, who was wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat during the incident in the subway station, began harassing two men of Mexican descent while they were on an uptown train that was heading towards Union Square on April 20 around 8:15 p.m. Ames allegedly turned to one of the men and said, “You guys come here to take our jobs and you bring drugs. F—king Mexicans, you people are dirty, you people are nasty.”

Once the train pulled into the station, Ames allegedly grabbed one of the men, who the New York Daily News identified as Luis Lopez, pulling him off the train and onto the platform at Union Square. The district attorney’s office said that Ames punched Lopez in the face three times and pushed him onto the subway tracks, causing a cut on his head that required staples to his scalp.

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Police Watch: Man wanted for gunpoint robbery, John Doe arrested for menacing

Robbery suspect

MAN WANTED FOR GUNPOINT ROBBERY
Police are looking for a man suspected in a gunpoint robbery that took place in a video store at 725 Sixth Avenue on Sunday, April 22 at 2:50 a.m. Police said that the suspect approached a 50-year-old store employee behind the counter, turned a gun on him and demanded all the cash from the register. The employee gave him $900 and the suspect ran north on Sixth Avenue. No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.
The suspect is described as a black man in his 20s, approximately 5’5” and 145 lbs. He was last seen wearing a dark cap, a dark hooded sweat jacket and light-colored pants.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) or visit nypdcrimestoppers.com. Tipc can also be texted to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.

JOHN DOE ARRESTED FOR MENACING IN UNION SQUARE
Police arrested a 41-year-old John Doe man for allegedly menacing someone in front of 39 Union Square West on Thursday, April 26 at 12:23 p.m. Police said that the man punched a victim in his waist. When the suspect fled the scene, officers saw him throwing an ice pick into a garbage can inside Union Square Park. When police attempted to place him under arrest, he allegedly flailed his arms to prevent himself from being handcuffed. Cops referred to him as John Doe because he had no ID.

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Man committed lewd act on train in Union Square: Cops

May3 Lewdness

Public lewdness suspect

Police are looking for a man who was masturbating on a northbound E train as it got to Union Square and 14th Street.

The victim, a 27-year-old woman, said the man committed the lewd act after reaching under his coat on the evening of March 9 at around 9 p.m.

The suspect, who the victim got a photo of, is black, about 30 to 40 years of age and has a medium build. He was last seen wearing dark-colored clothing and glasses.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

Woman robbed at knifepoint in Union Square

Sketch of robbery suspect

By Sabina Mollot

Police are looking for a man who robbed an employee of a Dunkin Donuts on the street on Monday, April 16, taking $3,500 of the shop’s money she had with her.

The 26-year-old victim said at about 11:40 a.m. she was at the intersection of East 17th Street and Union Square East on her way to a nearby bank with the business’s proceeds, when a man approached her from behind, asking for directions.

When she turned around, the man pulled out a knife and grabbed a paper bag from the victim’s hand, which contained the $3,500. The mugger then fled into Union Square Park and the victim was uninjured.

Asked if this was being investigated as a possible inside job, a police spokesperson said the department couldn’t speculate on this.

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ST/PCV ditches security SUVs

One of three new scooters to be used by public safety officers, along with a fleet of bikes (Photo by Sabina Mollot)

By Sabina Mollot

The Public Safety department of Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village invested in a fleet of six new bikes and three new Segway scooters, while also saying goodbye to three of its five SUV trucks.

The shift in transportation methods has a couple of reasons, according to StuyTown Property Services.

The first is to increase visibility of a security presence as a crime deterrent. The other is to make it easier for residents to get to know public safety officers.

The department is also in the midst of instituting a program similar to one being introduced by the 13th Precinct which places officers in very specific areas to act as community liaisons. The idea is to make it easier for neighborhood residents to form relationships with local law enforcement.

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Police Watch: Teen arrested for assault with bat, Man charged with punching store worker

TEEN ARRESTED FOR ASSAULT WITH BASEBALL BAT IN GRAMERCY
Police arrested a teenager for an assault opposite 325 East 22nd Street on Tuesday, April 3. Police said that the boy hit another teenager with a baseball bat, causing a personal injury. The teen was arrested on Wednesday, April 18 at noon inside the 13th Precinct.

MAN CHARGED WITH PUNCHING STORE WORKER OVER STOLEN RED BULL
Police arrested 37-year-old Ray Williams for an alleged robbery in front of the Chelsea Gourmet Deli at 259 Seventh Avenue on Monday, April 16 at 10:37 p.m. Police said that Williams went into the store and grabbed a Red Bull from the fridge, then allegedly attempted to leave without paying when an employee attempted to stop him. Police said that Williams then punched the employee in the face about 10 times and allegedly fled the scene with the Red Bull but was stopped by officers from the 10th precinct soon after.

MAN ACCUSED OF THREATENING STORE EMPLOYEE WITH KNIFE
Police arrested 39-year-old Thierry Diogene for allegedly stealing from Cowboy Wholesale at 28 West 27th Street on Wednesday, April 18 at 2:58 p.m. Police said that Diogene took items from the display shelf and attempted to leave without paying. When an employee confronted him, Diogene allegedly returned the merchandise to the store but police said that he returned to the location shortly after and threatened an employee from the store. Police said they got into an argument and that Diogene allegedly pulled out a knife and said, “I will cut you.” Diogene was arrested for petit larceny and weapons possession.

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Elderly woman assaulted at bus stop near Stuy Town

Assault suspect

By Sabina Mollot

Cops are on the lookout for a thug who shoved an elderly woman to the ground as she sat on a bench at a bus stop at First Avenue and 14th Street.

Police said on Sunday, April 22 at 7 p.m., a man approached the 82-year-old victim and shoved her off the bench, knocking her to the ground. The woman landed on her arm and later said she had pain in her arm as a result of the assault, although she didn’t go to the hospital.

Police don’t have a description of the man although he’s been captured in some fuzzy surveillance images.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call detectives at the 13th Precinct at (212) 477-7444.

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Two cops recognized for arrests of robbers

Officer Brendan Bellew (pictured at left) was presented with a Cop of the Month award by Deputy Inspector Steven Hellman and 13th Precinct Community Council President Frank Scala. Officer Nicholas Clemente (not pictured) was also given an award for his service. (Photo by Maria Rocha-Buschel)

By Maria Rocha-Buschel

A pair of cops were recognized for their work in catching multiple robbers over the last month at the 13th Precinct’s community council meeting on Tuesday evening.

Deputy Inspector Steven Hellman, the precinct’s commanding officer, praised Police Officer Brendan Bellew for spotting a man on April 11 in front of 8 Gramercy Park South and recognizing him from a wanted poster about a robbery inside a Duane Reade at 333 Seventh Avenue earlier this month.

“This guy has 35 arrests and has been on the job for six months,” Hellman said. “This was an incident of shoplifting gone wrong in a Duane Reade and there was an image captured with surveillance. Brendan recognized him from the photo and arrested him. He’s a great example for the kids.”

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Man in MAGA cap pushes victim into train tracks at Union Square

Assault suspect

By Sabina Mollot

Police are looking for a man wearing a Make America Great Again cap and matching shirt who pushed a fellow straphanger onto the train tracks after insulting his ethnicity.

The incident took place on Friday at around 8:15 p.m. when the suspect picked a fight with the 24-year-old victim as they rode a northbound 4 train approaching Union Square station. After making “multiple derogatory statements regarding the victim’s ethnicity,” cops said the suspect followed the victim as he left the train at Union Square and punched him on his head multiple times on the platform. He then pushed the victim onto the track bed before fleeing to the Brooklyn bound L train platform.

The victim’s friend and another person helped the victim back up to the platform and he was taken to the hospital for a wound on his head he got from falling onto the tracks.

The suspect is described as being black with a heavy build. Along with his red MAGA shirt and headwear, he had a black jacket on and jewelry around his neck.

The assault is being investigated as a hate crime and according to published reports, the victim was Hispanic.

Last week, a man wearing a MAGA cap was confronted by two men at the same subway station who stole his hat. When the victim tried to get it back, one of the men pulled out a knife and threatened him with it.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).  The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

 

Man charged with bag snatching and violent mugging on First Ave.

Stuyvesant Town Dunkin Donuts

By Maria Rocha-Buschel

Police have arrested a man they say punched and robbed a man on First Avenue and also snatched a woman’s bag at the Stuyvesant Town Dunkin Donuts.

Raymond Velez, 23, allegedly walked up to a table at Dunkin Donuts at 266 First Avenue last Wednesday at 9 p.m. where the victim was sitting and grabbed her purse, which contained three credit cards.

Ten minutes later, police said he was walking near 253 First Avenue when he allegedly grabbed the second victim who had cash in his hand. Police said that Velez attempted to throw the victim to the ground and in the scuffle, Velez allegedly punched the victim in the mouth and he sustained a bruise on his lip and a cut on his hand.

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Man charged with lewdness in ST building

By Maria Rocha-Buschel

Police arrested a man who allegedly exposed himself to a woman in a Stuy Town elevator after he followed her into the building early on Saturday morning.

The victim told police that she was entering 610 East 20th Street at 2:16 a.m. when 27-year-old Anthony Ashley allegedly came into the building behind her. She said that when she got in the elevator, Ashley entered the elevator behind her. When they were inside, he allegedly unzipped his pants and exposed himself.

Police said that Ashley is not a resident of the building. He was charged with public lewdness and trespassing.