Category Archives: Crime

Homeless man charged with rape of homeless woman in Kips Bay

By Maria Rocha-Buschel

Police arrested a homeless man for allegedly raping and robbing a homeless woman behind a building in Kips Bay early last Tuesday. Police said that 54-year-old Karl Dozier raped the 46-year-old woman outside 362 Third Avenue, which is home to a pinball arcade, after they got into an argument at around 4:45 a.m.

According to a criminal complaint, Dozier punched the victim in the head and face multiple times, got on top of her while continuing to hit her and then raped her.

After he was arrested, Dozier allegedly told police that he hit the victim repeatedly because she was “being annoying” and that in addition to hitting her with his fists, also reportedly bashed her with a lead pipe.

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Woman convicted for trying to kill baby at Waterside apartment

Waterside Plaza

By Sabina Mollot

On Tuesday, a nanny who worked for a family at Waterside Plaza was convicted of trying to kill a two-month-old infant she was watching last year.

Apparently fed up with the baby’s crying and her salary, Marianne Benjamin-Williams, 47, had shoved a baby wipe down his throat. Despite arguing that the baby’s toddler sister had done it, the jury found her guilty on all charges, including attempted murder, assault and strangulation.

It hadn’t helped her case that she’d lied about her employment history to the family she worked for, including past work and references and had doctored her IDs.

Benjamin-Williams is expected to be sentenced on January 7. According to the district attorney, she’s facing eight and one third to 25 years in prison for the attempted murder charge alone.

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Man smashes message board at Kips Bay synagogue

Congregation Adareth El at 133 East 29th Street

By Sabina Mollot

Cops are on the lookout for a man who smashed the glass of a Kips Bay synagogue’s message board in the wee hours of the morning.

The incident occurred on Saturday, November 10, but the information was only released by the NYPD on Tuesday night.

Police said that at around 3 a.m., the man broke the board at Congregation Adareth El, located at 133 East 29th Street and Lexington Avenue, with his elbow, then proceeded to keep walking down the street, heading east.

Vandalism suspect

The suspect is described as a light-skinned man with a beard; last seen wearing a dark colored hooded sweater, a dark colored jacket, dark colored pants and light colored sneakers.

Anyone with information in regard 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 CrimeStoppers website at nypdcrimestoppers.com, on Twitter @NYPDTips or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.

Teen robbed for his phone in NoMad

Dec13 NoMad robbery

Robbery suspect

Cops are on the lookout for a man who robbed a 16-year-old of his phone last Thursday.

The victim told police he was in front of 110 East 30th Street at around 8:30 a.m. when the robber snuck up behind him and forcibly grabbed the cell phone from his bag. The man then fled south on Park Avenue South. The phone was said to be worth $500.

The suspect is described as black, 35 years old, 6’01” tall and 200 lbs. He was last seen wearing all a red hoodie, green coat and tan pants. Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). All calls are confidential.

‘Groper’ arrested in Union Square was on parole for murder

By Maria Rocha-Buschel

Police arrested a 63-year-old man on parole for murder for allegedly groping a woman inside the Union Square subway station last Wednesday. Police said that Wilfredo Gonzalez was on a downtown 4 train at 4:28 p.m. on November 28 and was allegedly grinding and pushing his groin area on the buttocks of a woman while the train traveled from Grand Central to Union Square.

When police approached him and attempted to place him in custody, he allegedly flailed his arms violently and attempted to run away to avoid being arrested.

Police said that Gonzalez has three prior arrests for forcible touching and is a registered sex offender. Information about Gonzalez’s sex offender registration is not available through the online registry because he is a level 1 offender. The law permits the registry to make available information online only about level 2 and 3 offenders, which are for more serious crimes.

Gonzalez was previously convicted of forcible touching in June 2018 and February 2012.

Police did not have further information about the murder for which Gonzalez was on parole.

He was also charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct for the recent incident in Union Square.

Man robbed for Balenciaga shoes at Gramercy hotel

Dec6 Shoe robbery suspects

Robbery suspects

By Sabina Mollot

A man was robbed for a pricey pair of kicks at the Freehand Hotel in Gramercy last Saturday.

Police said the 26-year-old victim was in a second floor public bathroom at the hotel at about 4 p.m. when two men approached him and demanded his Balenciaga shoes.

After being threatened, the victim turned the pair, worth $300, over to one of the robbers, who is described as being white, in his 30s, 5 ft. 11 ins. and about 180 lbs.

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Cops on lookout for L train masturbator

Dec13 public lewdness

Public lewdness suspect

Police are looking for a man who was seen masturbating on an L train at Union Square on Monday, December 3.

The victim, a 29-year-old woman, said that it occurred at around 12:45 p.m. as the man stood close to where she was. The victim snapped a photo of the suspect before she left the train at the next station.

The suspect is described as white and 25-35 years-old, and was last seen wearing all dark clothing.

Anyone with information in regard 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 Crimestoppers website at nypdcrimestoppers.com, on Twitter @NYPDTips or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.

 

Police Watch: Man choked woman on bus, Teen busted for stolen credit cards

MAN CHOKED WOMAN ON BUS, SPIT ON COPS
Police arrested a 30-year-old John Doe for alleged obstruction of breath in front of 489 Second Avenue on Saturday, December 1 at 1:19 p.m. The victim told police that the man approached her while she was on a bus and took his thumbs, pressing them to her neck while pressing her face against the window. The man was also charged with harassment. The man was also charged with resisting arrest and harassment for allegedly spitting on two officers who were attempting to arrest him.

ACS TEEN BUSTED FOR STOLEN CREDIT CARDS
Police arrested a teenager for possession of stolen property inside the ACS facility at 492 First Avenue on Saturday, December 1 at 1:37 p.m. Police said that the teen was in possession of six credit cards that didn’t belong to him.

MAN ARRESTED IN UNION SQUARE FOR ALLEGED MIDTOWN ROBBERY
Police arrested 30-year-old Dejuan Gore at the corner of Union Square East and East 14th on Monday, November 26 for an alleged robbery that took place in Midtown in October. Police said that Gore and another person allegedly robbed the victim inside the subway station at 59th Street and Lexington Avenue on October 17 at 8:45 a.m. The other suspect allegedly punched the victim in the face, causing pain and swelling, while Gore reportedly took cell phones from the victim.

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Man charged with going on beauty product stealing spree

The suspect allegedly stole thousands of dollars’ worth of products from different Blue Mercury stores. (Photo by Maria Rocha-Buschel)

By Maria Rocha-Buschel

One man’s alleged shoplifting spree throughout the last month from a high-end cosmetics store came to an end when police said they caught him stealing from a Flatiron store on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

Seamus Limato, 36, was arrested inside the Blue Mercury at 695 Sixth Avenue around 2 p.m. on Black Friday last week after he allegedly tried to steal more than $1,000-worth of products from the store. Police said that Limato also tried to flee but he was caught nearby.

Limato was charged with grand larceny in connection with this incident, as well as resisting arrest after police said that he flailed his arms and legs while officers were attempting to handcuff him.

After he was arrested for the incident on Black Friday, police connected Limato to nine other thefts, primarily taking place in Blue Mercury locations throughout Manhattan. Police said that in a number of the incidents, Limato took as many as 30 different products each time, including skin creams, shampoo and other cosmetics.

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Man rubs boy’s thigh on A train near 14th Street: Cops

Dec6 sex abuse suspect

Sex abuse suspect

Police are looking for a creep who rubbed a nine-year-old boy’s thigh repeatedly on an A train near 14th Street.

On Monday, December 3 at about 7 a.m., the man was on the train and leaned over to where the victim was, rubbing his thigh three times, the boy’s sister told police.

When the sister, a 20-year-old woman, realized what he was doing, she yelled at the man and then alerted the conductor once the train entered 14th Street. The suspect meanwhile fled the train further into the station.

He is described as Hispanic, 30 to 40 years old, with a salt and pepper goatee; and was last seen wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans.

Anyone with information in regard 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 Nypdcrimestoppers.com, on Twitter @NYPDTips or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.

Man had shotgun in car outside club in Flatiron, cops say

Neighborhood Coordinating Officers Eric Demery and Brittany Vera with others from the 13th Precinct, standing by the confiscated weapon (Photo courtesy of the 13th Precinct)

By Maria Rocha-Buschel

Police have arrested a man who was allegedly in possession of a shotgun in front of a Flatiron club last weekend.

Police were informed by witnesses that there was an intoxicated man nearby, possibly armed, in the driver’s seat of his vehicle. Aleksandr Tsoy, 34, was allegedly sitting inside his car while parked in front of Taj Lounge at 48 West 21st Street on Saturday, November 24 at 9:53 p.m.

When officers arrived at the scene, Tsoy was sitting in the driver’s seat with the engine turned on. Police removed Tsoy from the car and found that he allegedly had an odor of alcohol on his breath and bloodshot, watery eyes. A test at the scene determined that Tsoy’s blood alcohol content was 0.10, police said.

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Teen mugged in Peter Cooper Village building

Dec6 Robbery suspects

Robbery suspects

By  Sabina Mollot

Cops are on the lookout for two muggers who held a resident of Peter Cooper Village up at gunpoint on Tuesday night.

Police said the victim, who is 16 years old, was walking home at about 11:10 p.m. when he was confronted by the pair in the vestibule of 510 East 23rd Street.

One of the robbers pulled out what appeared to be a real gun while demanding his property. The victim then turned over $90 in cash and his iPhone and the muggers fled towards the FDR Drive.

The suspects were described as male and black, one wearing a blue hoodie and black sweatpants and the other wearing grey shoes gray sweatpants and a black coat.

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Police Watch: Alleged subway ‘grinder’ arrested, Men charged with assault outside Food Emporium

ALLEGED SUBWAY ‘GRINDER’ ON 6 TRAIN ARRESTED
Police arrested 64-year-old Mohamed Abdel Rahim for alleged sexual abuse inside the Union Square station on Tuesday, November 20 at 5:30 p.m. Rahim allegedly thrust his erect penis onto the victim’s buttocks while they were on an uptown 6 train. Police said that Rahim and the victim did not know each other.

MEN CHARGED WITH ASSAULT OUTSIDE FOOD EMPORIUM
Police arrested 43-year-old Kitwane Parkinson and 39-year-old Alexander Rivera for an alleged assault on Monday, November 19 at 4:25 p.m. in front of 10 Union Square East. Parkinson and Rivera allegedly kicked and punched the victim inside the location due to an argument they had earlier in the day. Police said that the victim had bruised lips.

WOMAN ACCUSED OF STEALING WALLET FROM HOLIDAY MARKET VENDOR
Police arrested 32-year-old Dominique Elgin for an alleged theft that took place in Union Square earlier this month. A vendor at the Union Square Holiday Market told police that she left her purse on a chair in her booth on Sunday, November 18 and around 5:50 p.m., she noticed that her wallet was missing from the bag. Police said that Elgin had allegedly used the victim’s credit card. She was busted on Wednesday, November 21 at 7:20 p.m. inside the 13th Precinct.

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Police say teens behind two Kips Bay muggings

Robbery suspects 2 and 3

By Sabina Mollot

Police are looking for a team of teenage muggers who they say violently robbed two people on the same evening.

On Tuesday, November 20 at 6:10 p.m., two teen boys and two girls approached a flower stand vendor in front of 390 Third Avenue at East 28th Street. They asked the vendor for change for a five-dollar bill, only to forcibly swipe the cash from the 37-year-old victim after slamming him against a wall.

Then, 20 minutes later, the group (without one of the female suspects) strolled up to 428 Third Avenue at 30th Street, where they approached a delivery man on his bike. They asked the 19-year-old victim for change but then pushed him into a wall while trying to grab money from his pocket. However, they ended up fleeing empty-handed.

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Shoplifter threatens Target employee with box cutter

Nov29 Target robbery suspect

Target robbery suspect

By Sabina Mollot

Police are looking for a man who threatened a Target employee with a box cutter when he was caught shoplifting at the store at 500 East 14th Street.

On Friday, November 23 at about 2:45 p.m. the man strolled into the store and proceeded to take diapers, body wash, lotion and deodorant without paying, police said. When he was confronted by a store security worker, the man pulled out the box cutter, while warning the victim, “I will cut you.”

He then fled with the merchandise.

The suspect, who was seen on fuzzy surveillance video, is described as being about 5 ft 6 ins. tall. He is being sought for robbery.

Anyone with information about 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. All calls are strictly confidential.