Crime Watch: Beaten and Bruised

Beaten and Bruised On a recent afternoon on Park Row, a 60-year-old man was standing near his food cart when a middle-aged man approached him and shouted, "I'm going to crack someone in the head." After he uttered these words, he struck the vendor with his cane on the left side of his head, causing a deep cut. The victim was rushed to the hospital, while the other man was arrested. iPhone Thefts Continue A string of iPhone thefts should be enough to cause alarm in residents and keep their phones safe. A 20-year-old woman was walking down Thompson Street last week when a teenager took her $600 iPhone 4S out of her hand and ran away. A similar incident happened earlier that week-a 23-year-old woman was talking on her iPhone 3G when a young man ran up behind her, snatched the device and fled on foot to the 1 train heading uptown. There is potentially footage of the perpetrator at the subway entrance. In another case nearby, a young female hostess left her $2,000 Macbook Pro and $700 iPhone 4S at her stand at the restaurant where she worked when she went to go get a glass of water. When she returned, both of the pricey items had been poached. On the following day, a woman fell asleep on the E train and her iPhone was stolen right out of her hands. In a surprising twist though, the police were able to arrest the 34-year-old thief and discovered that he was already carrying an iPhone and iPod. Incident at the Nightclub When spirits are high and the liquor runs quickly, altercations always seem to follow suit. This week was no exception. Outside a club on Varick Street, a 25-year-old man reported to police that he accidentally bumped into a woman who allegedly flew into a rage, tossing her glass in his face. The man told police that he ended up getting a cut on his right hand, but when he was taken to the hospital, he refused treatment. At the same establishment a few nights later, a 22-year-old woman who was visiting from Australia had her purse stolen. The leather handbag contained an iPhone, her credit cards and an $800 Sigma camera. At a club on Vandam Street last month, a man had his $1,000 laptop stolen, along with his $200 Blackberry. But perhaps the most unsettling report to come out of a downtown club this month was the tale of a 27-year-old man who was talking on his cell phone outside a nightclub on Bridge Steet. While talking, he watched as two men got out of a silver Nissan Altima, then started shouting at him, demanding his money and wallet. After complying, the man was pushed to the ground. One of the robbers went so far as to try and pull off the victim's boots. Despite their efforts, the thieves ended up running away sans footwear but with $90 in cash, credit cards and a $60 wallet. Jean Dash We've heard of marketing schemes, like buy two pairs of pants, get another pair free, but this woman may have taken this idea all wrong. A young woman managed to grab 10 pairs of jeans from a Prince Street store before she fled on foot. Police say the loot is worth about $2,000. Theft from a Car Leaving your car parked on the street doesn't necessarily mean it'll get stolen, but it certainly doesn't mean items in the car won't. A 49-year-old woman parked her car on Lispenard Street in early June and left her pocketbook inside the car, underneath the driver's seat. While the woman was only gone an hour, she claims her purse was stolen, though the car door lock was undamaged. Pay and Leave? Not the Case After a customer refused to pay, a 24-year-old parking attendant closed the garage door to make sure the man wouldn't leave. But when two passengers got out of the car, the attendant upped the ante by standing in front of the vehicle, still demanding payment. According to police reports, the driver was unfazed and drove toward the attendant, almost running him over. The attendant fell and the car rolled over his hand, breaking it. The malicious group fled in their Range Rover. -Compiled by Adel Manoukian