Category Archives: Crime

Man wanted for forcible touching on 4 train

Forcible touching suspect

By Maria Rocha-Buschel 

Police are looking for a man wanted for a forcible touching incident that occurred on the subway in Union Square earlier this month. 

The 37-year-old victim told police that she was riding a crowded uptown 4 train on Monday, September 9 around 8:35 a.m. and when the train was near Union Square, an unknown man who was standing behind her allegedly exposed his private parts and rubbed up against the victim’s buttocks. 

When the victim called attention to his behavior and protested to what he was doing, he got off the train at an unknown station and fled on foot. The victim was not injured. 

The suspect is described as a black man between 20 and 30 years old, clean-shaven, and was last seen wearing a patterned long sleeve shirt and glasses. 

Anyone with information about the identity of this man is asked to call the NYPD’s CrimeStoppers 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 or on Twitter @NYPDTips.

All calls are strictly confidential.

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UPDATE: Teen arrested for robbery in Stuyvesant Town

Suspect David Young

This is an updated version of a previous story posted yesterday.

By Maria Rocha-Buschel

A 17-year-old girl was arrested for assaulting a senior while she was trying to get into her building in Stuyvesant Town on Monday evening. 

Police said that the victim, who is older than 65, was walking up to the building at 430 East 20th Street around 7:40 p.m. on September 16 when she spotted the teens, a boy and a girl, standing outside the door. As she approached the building, she said that one of the teens told her that his phone was dead and wanted her to let them inside the building. 

The victim said that she told them they needed to call security if they wanted help getting inside and one of the teens allegedly responded, “You’re not opening the door because we’re black.”

The victim said that she then turned around to walk away from the building when the teens grabbed her from behind and knocked her to the ground before grabbing her purse and fleeing the scene by heading west. 

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Men wanted for East Village jewelry store theft

By Maria Rocha-Buschel

The New York City Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying two men wanted for a grand larceny that occurred in the East Village.

It was reported to the police that on August 23 at 8 p.m., two individuals entered the Still House, located at 309 East 9th Street, where they were trying on jewelry at the counter.  The individuals removed two rings, valued at approximately $2,980, when the store employee was distracted.  The individuals also used a counterfeit $100 bill to purchase two $25 gift cards before leaving the store.

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 or on Twitter @NYPDTips.

All calls are strictly confidential.

Teens wanted for robbery in Stuyvesant Town

430 East 20th Street (Photo by Maria Rocha-Buschel)

By Maria Rocha-Buschel

Police are looking for two teenagers who reportedly robbed a woman while she was trying to get into her building in Stuyvesant Town yesterday evening. 

The victim told police that she was walking up to the building at 430 East 20th Street around 7:40 p.m. on Monday, September 16 when she spotted the teens, a boy and a girl, standing outside the door. As she approached the building, she said that one of the teens told her that his phone was dead and wanted her to let them inside the building. 

The victim said that she told them they needed to call security if they wanted help getting inside and one of the teens allegedly responded, “You’re not opening the door because we’re black.”

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Three wanted for assaulting elderly man

Suspect 1

The New York City Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying three individuals who are wanted for questioning in connection to an assault that occurred in the East Village.

Police said that the three individuals approached the 84-year-old male victim from behind near East 6th Street and Avenue D on Wednesday, September 4 around 6:30 a.m. The male suspect punched the victim in the right side of the face and the three then fled.

Suspect 2

Police said that the first suspect is a black boy, approximately 15-18 years old and was last seen wearing a multicolored t-shirt, black pants and black sneakers. The second suspect is a Hispanic girl, approximately 15-18 years old and with long hair. She was last seen wearing a red t-shirt, dark pants, and purple shoes. The third individual is a black girl between 15 and 18 years old and was last seen wearing a floral dress and sandals.

Suspect 3

Anyone with information in regard to the identity of these individuals 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 or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls are strictly confidential.

Multiple busted for forgeries at Barney’s

Barney’s at 101 Seventh Avenue

By Maria Rocha-Buschel

Police arrested multiple people for allegedly forged credit cards inside the Barney’s at 101 Seventh Avenue last week. The four people who were arrested were all reportedly in possession of stolen credit cards in addition to forged credit cards with the suspects’ names on them but that were connected to the cards that had allegedly been stolen.

Kareem McClain, 36, was arrested inside the store on Monday, August 26 at 1:05 p.m. after he allegedly attempted to purchase a wallet with multiple credit cards. Police said that each card swiped showed on the store computer with a different card number than what was physically on the cards. Upon further investigation, police found that each card was linked to different stolen credit card numbers. McClain was allegedly in possession of all of the stolen cards and he was charged with grand larceny, forgery and petit larceny.

Police arrested 26-year-old Samuel Taffary for alleged forgery inside the store at 4:46 p.m. on the same day and was also charged with grand larceny and petit larceny after he reportedly attempted to make a purchase with various credit cards that police said had been forged.

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New photos of Stuy Town attempted rape suspect

Attempted rape suspect

By Maria Rocha-Buschel

Police have released new images from surveillance video depicting the man wanted for an attempted rape at the beginning of this summer. The NYPD previously re-released images and information earlier this summer about the incident that took place on Saturday, June 29 at 5:10 a.m. in front of a building on Stuyvesant Oval but no arrests have been made in the case.

The attempted sexual assault occurred when the 20-year-old victim was walking near the M level exterior door on Stuyvesant Oval. Police said that the suspect approached her from behind, grabbing her neck, and although she resisted, she was knocked unconscious. When she fell to the ground, the suspect reportedly attempted to sexually assault her but another resident who was nearby came to her aid and called 911.

The man reportedly fled the scene on foot and was last seen running west on East 17th Street towards Second Avenue. Shortly before the incident, the suspect was spotted on surveillance video walking north on First Avenue and turning right onto East 16th Street. Police said that at the time of the incident, the suspect was wearing a blue shirt and black jeans.

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Burglary on East 10th Street

Burglary suspects

The New York City Police Department is asking the public’s assistance identifying a person wanted for questioning in connection to a burglary that occurred within the confines of the 6th Precinct.

It was reported to police that on Wednesday, August 14 around 8 a.m. inside 32 East 10th Street, an unidentified man and woman entered a 31-year-old female’s apartment by unknown means. Once inside, they removed approximately $5,200 worth of jewelry and electronics before fleeing in unknown direction.

Anyone with information in regard to the identity of these two individuals 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 or on Twitter @ NYPDTips.

Teens arrested for Kips Bay robbery

By Maria Rocha-Buschel

Police arrested three teenagers for robbing an elderly woman in Kips Bay earlier this month.

Police said that the victim, who is in her 70s, was standing in front of 332 East 29th Street on Sunday, August 4 at 8:30 p.m. when the three teenagers approached her. The victim said that the teens pushed, punched and shoved the woman, then forcible removed her iPhone from her hand.

Police said that the woman lives nearby and further information about her condition was not immediately available.

The teens, who police said are all residents of the Administration for Children’s Services facility at 492 First Avenue, were caught at the ACS building on Monday, August 5 at 12:44 a.m. and were charged with robbery.

Their names are being withheld due to their young age.

Man arrested for stealing wine from Chelsea restaurant after scaling building, allegedly masturbating inside

By Maria Rocha-Buschel

Police arrested a 50-year-old man after he allegedly scaled a wall at a West 24th Street building in an attempt to evade capture and reportedly stole wine from the restaurant’s cellar last week.

Steven Vega reportedly broke into Zauo, a Japanese restaurant at 152 West 24th Street, on Tuesday, August 20 around 12:40 a.m. when the restaurant was closed. Police said that the building manager spotted Vega inside through security cameras and said that he was inside the building illegally and without permission to be there.

When police arrived at the scene around 1:40 a.m., two officers spotted Vega on the second floor, after which he allegedly tried to escape through two separate roof access points. Police said that Vega then scaled down the side of the building, then went back up to the roof.

Three officers then followed Vega onto the roof by going up the fire escape and managed to arrest him. According to the district attorney’s office, police also spotted Vega allegedly masturbating via the surveillance video while Vega was allegedly in the hallway inside the building.

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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.

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Multiple arrests for robberies last week

By Maria Rocha-Buschel  

Police arrested multiple people for alleged robberies in the neighborhood, including for a violent incident at the bus stop on First Avenue at East 14th Street last weekend.

Jason Vincente, 39, allegedly approached a woman in her 20s while she was waiting for the bus at the northeast corner of East 14th Street and First Avenue on Saturday, August 10 at 12:25 a.m.

Police said that Vincente attempted to grab the victim’s bag and when the victim refused to give it to him, he allegedly said, “Gimme your money,” and reportedly grabbed the victim by the shirt.

When she refused, police said that Vincente forced her into the wall of the bus stop enclosure, hitting her head against the glass multiple times, causing a bruise on her head and substantial pain. The victim was transported to Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital for treatment but no further information about her condition was available.

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Men wanted for sex crimes in Union Square station

By Maria Rocha-Buschel

Police are looking for two men for alleged sex crimes that took place in the Union Square station since the end of July.

A 25-year-old woman reported to police that she was leaving the station on Wednesday, July 31 at 4:40 p.m. when an unidentified man approached her from behind, grabbed her buttocks and then fled on foot, exiting the subway system. Surveillance video (posted above) showed the suspect at the station shortly after the time of the incident. The man is wanted for forcible touching.

Police said that a case of sexual abuse occurred in Union Square on Wednesday, August 7 around 4:20 a.m. after a 47-year-old woman fell asleep on a downtown Q train. The victim told police that she woke up when the suspect touched her right shoulder with his exposed genitals. When the victim confronted the suspect, he ran off the train at Union Square and fled the station to the street.

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Man busted for Gramercy package thefts

By Maria Rocha-Buschel

Police arrested a teen last week for multiple package thefts that took place earlier this summer in various buildings throughout Gramercy.

A Stuyvesant Town Public Safety Officer told police that he saw 19-year-old Luis Navarro Murillo via video surveillance entering 390 First Avenue in Peter Cooper Village around 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 24, when he allegedly stole two packages from the building’s lobby.

After leaving that building, police said that about five minutes later, Navarro Murillo entered 350 First Avenue, also in Peter Cooper Village, and allegedly took one package from that lobby, then left the building.

Police later confirmed that Navarro Murillo also allegedly stole a package from the lobby of 39 Gramercy Park North on Tuesday, June 4 around 6:30 p.m.

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Doorman arrested for masturbating in resident’s apartment

By Maria Rocha-Buschel

Police arrested a doorman last month who allegedly broke into a resident’s apartment and masturbated while inside earlier this year.

Police said that 21-year-old Ronald Yagual, a doorman at a building on West 23rd Street in the Flatiron District, went inside the victim’s apartment without permission on Thursday, May 23 around 3 a.m.

According to the District Attorney’s office, Yagual masturbated and then removed water from the victim’s refrigerator without permission to do so. Yagual was arrested inside the 13th precinct on Wednesday, July 17 at 9:30 a.m.

Yagual was charged with burglary as a sexually-motivated felony, petit larceny and criminal trespass. The court issued a temporary order of protection for the victim against Yagual but he was released on his own recognizance during a court appearance on Wednesday, July 17. The exact location of the building is being withheld to protect the victim.

An attorney for Yagual could not be reached for comment on the case by T&V’s press time.