Crime Watch

Dine and Dash and Attack Last Thursday evening, a 24-yearold woman entered a barbecue joint on West 72nd Street and ordered a meal with drinks, totaling $79.20. When the bill was presented, however, instead of paying up, the customer decided to walk out. A restaurant employee chased the check-skipper and caught up with her at the corner of West 72nd and Columbus. When he confronted her, she whacked him over the head with her umbrella and then bit him in the chest hard enough to cause injury. The good news is that this attack happened in full view of police officers, who were able to apprehend the nasty diner and arrest her for felonious assault. Criminal Cinderella A police officer responding to a call of a larceny in progress last Sunday ran straight into the perpetrator as he was fleeing the Game Stop location on Broadway that had called in the crime. The suspect flailed his arms and tried to escape but was ultimately arrested-but not before running around the neighborhood and leaving a trail in his wake. Three witnesses said that they saw the man as he ran straight into their group, knocking one woman to the ground and then removing a black iPad-like device from his jacket and tossing it to the ground. The girl's boyfriend chased the man to another street, where he hid underneath a parked van and was spotted by a nearby food vendor. The suspect then dashed out, leaving one of his blue sneakers behind, and eventually was caught. The store employee identified the man (without the aid of his missing shoe) as someone who had been fidgeting with the device, which was tethered to a stand inside the store, before making some loud noises and tearing it off. The tablet was a specially configured store demo worth $10,887, according to the employee. Arranged Assault A plan to attack and steal an electronic tablet device was thwarted by a pair of cautious friends last week. A man attempting to sell his tablet had heard from a prospective buyer and arranged to meet him in the lobby of his building on West 61st Street. The seller brought a pal along with him, which was good thinking-when he arrived, the supposed purchaser assaulted him, beating him and snatching the tablet. The friend grabbed the suspect and the two were able to hold him until police arrived and made an arrest. Closet Thieves A 68-year-old woman came to police to report what she suspects to be gradual theft by several home health aides from her wardrobe. The woman said that over the course of several months, many items have gone missing, including several hooded jackets, designer sweaters worth $1,200, expensive Lord & Taylor nightgowns, a bottle of Dior perfume and some household supplies. Vehicle Thefts Abound While grand larceny auto isn't usually a frequent crime on the Upper West Side, there was a slight uptick last week in reported stolen vehicles. Victims reported, in separate incidents, three cars, two pricey scooters and one motorcycle missing from neighborhood streets recently. Nail Polish Plot A 50-year-old man whom employees recognized was acting suspiciously at a local Duane Reade last week. He had a white plastic shopping bag and began sweeping five displays of Sally Hansen nail polish into it. When employees confronted the man, he left without paying for the polish, which was worth a grand total of $1,486, according to the store.