Crime Watch
BY MARIA ROCHA-BUSCHEL
Cab driver assaultedPolice arrested a 35-year-old man for assault at the southwest corner of 10th Avenue and West 33rd Street Thursday, Dec. 10, at 11:58 p.m. Police said that the suspect, who was a passenger in the victim’s cab, became agitated because they were stuck in traffic and he needed to get to Grand Central. The driver said that the man was drunk and got out of the taxi to grab the driver. He told police that the suspect threw him to the ground and punched him. Police said that the suspect also bit a witness who was at the scene because he tried to help the driver.
Phone snatched on West 34thA woman reported that her phone was snatched while she was standing opposite 655 West 34th St. Sunday, Dec. 13, at 1:20 p.m. She told police that she was waiting in line for the bus when the suspect walked up to her and snatched her cell phone out of her hand, then fled on foot. No arrests have been made.
Good Samaritan’s phone stolen in scuffle A man told police that his phone was stolen while he was inside 460 West 41st Street Saturday, Dec. 12, at 11:30 p.m. He said that his phone fell to the floor while he was trying to break up a fight that was taking place on the fourth floor of the building. He noticed after the fight was over that an unknown person had taken his phone during the altercation.
Multiple hit-and-run incidentsPolice reported three unrelated hit and run incidents last week.
A 30-year-old woman reported that her motorcycle was damaged while she was in front of 201 West 21st St. on Friday, Dec. 11, at 6:30 a.m. She said that someone who was driving a grey sedan hit her motorcycle and another vehicle while trying to park. After hitting the motorcycle and the other car, the driver fled west on West 21st Street towards Eighth Avenue.
In another incident, a 63-year-old man reported that he was driving south on Ninth Avenue in the early morning that Saturday and his car was struck when he was approaching West 14th Street. The victim, who was a taxi driver, said that the person who hit him was also driving a cab.
A man driving at the southeast corner of 11th Avenue and West 40th Street reported that his vehicle was damaged by a hit-and-run driving, also early that Saturday. He told police that the driver struck his vehicle at the intersection, causing damage, but fled the scene before police arrived and before exchanging any information.
Jingle Ball ticket scamA 27-year-old resident of 455 West 27th St. reported that he was scammed on the afternoon of Friday, Dec. 11, when trying to buy tickets from someone via Craigslist for the Z100 Jingle Ball. He told police that around 1 p.m. he got in touch with the supposed seller, who told the victim to wire $500 to his fiancée’s account. The suspect then told him that he could pick up his tickets at the box office but when the victim arrived just after 5 p.m. the same day, no tickets had been sent. The victim tried contacting the suspect but his phone number was blocked.
Security guards harassed by father of fired employeeAn employee of Harvard Protection Services at 75 Ninth Ave. told police that they were harassed inside the business Friday, Dec. 11, between 7:36 and 11:50 a.m. The employee told police that the man threatened him and two other employees with violence and was behaving erratically. Police said that the suspect is the father of a man who was a recently fired employee at the company.