Crime Watch

BY MARIA ROCHA-BUSCHEL

Taxi stolen during smoke breakA 56-year-old man reported that his taxi was stolen from an Eighth Avenue parking spot early Friday morning while he was outside the car. He told police that he was smoking a cigarette outside the car while the taxi was still running when someone jumped into the vehicle and drove away. The hack said he jumped into another cab but couldn’t catch up to his stolen taxi, which he last spotted at West 26th Street and Eighth Avenue. The car was last tracked going over the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

Bags snatched during birthday party at Chelsea PiersA woman reported that her bags were stolen while she was at a birthday party inside the bowling alley at Chelsea Piers at the southwest corner of West 19th Street and 11th Avenue Saturday afternoon. She told police that she left two bags containing her wallet and jacket unattended while she went to sing “Happy Birthday” to her friend. Her bags were gone when she went to fetch them. Police said that video surveillance showed a man unknown to the victim taking the bags.

Phone stolen A 28-year-old man reported that his phone was stolen while he was inside G Lounge at 225 West 19th St. early Saturday morning. He told police that he left his phone to charge while he was in the lounge while he went to the bar to get a drink. He said that when he returned, the phone was gone but his charger was left plugged into the wall. No arrests have been made.

Hit-and-run on West 41stA 41-year-old woman said that she was involved in an accident and the vehicle that hit her did not stop. She told police that she was driving near the northwest corner of 10th Avenue and West 41st Street early Sunday morning and was traveling west on West 41st Street. She was in the far right lane when she was rear-ended by a bus from New Jersey that continued west. She said that there were no witnesses and she did not have any injuries as a result of the collision.

Gift cards stolen Internet underwear company Thinx, which has offices at 601 West 26th St., reported that they were scammed sometime between April 7 and April 28. An employee told police that someone purchased $78,000 worth of products from the company and it was later discovered that an unknown person had created false email addresses and were able to obtain the gift cards.

Car keyed on Ninth AvenueA 45-year-old woman reported that a man keyed her car while she was parked in front of 76 Ninth Ave. about noon on Saturday. She told police that she was parked at the location when a man driving a grey jeep pulled up next to her and told her to move backwards. He then proceeded to key her car on the passenger’s side rear fender.