Crime Watch

by jerry danzig

Bad Lunch BreakHungry diners are no match for greedy thieves. A 45-year-old woman having lunch at the Bistro Oliva at 225 Broadway on Tuesday, Nov. 10, had her bag taken from the back of her chair. She told police that no unauthorized charges turned up on her credit cards, but the thief did get away with $400 in cash, a pair of gray Carolina Herrera sunglasses valued at $150, plus a red bag and a red-and-brown bag each valued at $30. The total stolen came to $610, making for a very expensive lunch.

Slick PickpocketA 41-year-old woman told police her gold iPhone was taken from her jacket while she shopped in the Sephora department store at 555 Broadway on around 5 p.m. on Sunday, November 15. She did not see the perpetrator, and police or store personnel could not identify the thief after watching surveillance footage. A search of the store turned up nothing. The stolen cell was a gold iPhone valued at $900.

Hairy SituationOne thief apparently did some holiday shopping for female acquaintances with hair issues. At 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 11, someone entered the Duane Reade store at 40 Wall St. and plucked more than $1,000 worth of hair care items into a black plastic bag, and left the store. The items stolen included 2 Conair hair appliances priced at $26, 6 Conair Pro straighteners worth $153, 4 InStyler MAX rotating irons priced at $284, 1 Remington Silk straightener valued at $105, 5 Conair Secret Curl tools tagged at $317, 4 Conair ceramic curl irons priced at $48, and 5 Conair Euro Style diffusers tagged at $93, for a total haul of $1,026.

cabbie attackedA 60-year-old cabbie was set upon by several men who had hailed the taxi at Prince Street and Broadway late on Monday, Nov. 16, police said. When the cabbie stopped to pick up the passengers, the bad guys opened the front passenger door, punched the cabbie, and forcibly took his property before fleeing northbound on Broadway toward West Houston Street. Police searched the area but could not find the thugs. The cabbie had a minor cut on his lip but refused medical attention. The items stolen included $50 in cash and an iPhone box charger valued at $80, making a total of $130.

Zara ZeroSometime between noon and 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16, someone took a variety of merchandise from the Zara clothing boutique at 222 Broadway. The exact inventory of stolen items was unknown at the time of the police report, but it was estimated at more than $1,000. Apparently, store personnel or police will review store surveillance video in an attempt to identify the perpetrator.