On Feb. 1, a 23-year-old man was observed using a credit card that was not his at a high-end clothing store on Madison Avenue. The man had spent $4,545 on clothes. He had apparently obtained his victim’s personal information and used a counterfeit card. Police also determined that the man had several stolen credit cards in his possession. He was arrested for stolen property. The 20-year-old female victim, who lives in Massachusetts, canceled her credit cards.

Hamburger Heist

A 29-year-old woman from Brooklyn was at a hamburger joint on 86th Street on Feb. 1. A man offered to assist with her food. She didn’t feel any bumping or jostling. Upon receiving her food, she proceeded to walk out. Later she noticed her wallet was missing, and $522 in charges had appeared on her Amex account. No arrests have yet been made, but the perpetrator , if caught, will likely be charged with grand larceny.

Woman’s Wallet Stolen on Bus

On Feb.1, in the afternoon, a 29-year-old woman who lives on West 74th Street said that she was on a bus. She felt the usual rush-hour bumps, and afterward noticed her wallet was missing. Checking her credit card account, she found unauthorized purchases totaling $2,336. All in all, a debit card, two credit cards and a wallet worth $180 were stolen.

A Fragrant Theft

A 23-year-old man from Queens was at his gym on Park Avenue on Feb. 1, when a perpetrator was observed trying to use a credit card belong to the gymgoer. He was found to also be in possession of other stolen credit cards. The victim had been of possession of his cards when he entered the gym, and also had other items stolen from him, including some cologne. No arrests have yet been made.

Bar Fight

A 43-year-old man visiting from Delaware said that he got into an altercation with a man in front of a bar on Second Avenue at 2 a.m. on Feb. 1. The man had been drinking at the bar when a younger man also drinking at the bar bumped into him. After a verbal exchange, the younger man challenged his victim to a fight outside. Once they went outside, the perpetrator punched his victim in the face, causing pain and swelling. The victim left the scene via a cab. His assailant is wanted for assault.

Shoplifting Incident at High-End Clothing Store

Inside a high-end clothing store on East 65th Street on Jan. 31, at 5:50 p.m., a 38-year-old man said four unknown men walked into the store while an employee was helping other customers. The four men removed items from the shelves, went into the dressing room and stuffed the items into their backpacks. The perpetrators exited with the items, but surveillance footage is available. The four men are wanted for grand larceny. In total, $1,500 worth of clothes as stolen.

BREAK-IN, BURGLARY IN THE WEST 80’S
A young man’s apartment was robbed on Sunday, Dec. 30. The 24-year-old left his West 81st Street home at 6 p.m., and when he returned at around 11 p.m. he found his door open and his lights on. A Mac laptop, $4,000 camera, TV, a DVD player and $250 in cash were stolen. The victim remembers locking his door when he left. The robber(s) have yet to be identified and remain at large.

DISTRACTED BY ICE CREAM
A woman had her wallet stolen while grabbing a bite two weeks ago. At 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 27, the 44-year-old New Jersey resident stopped by an ice cream shop on Broadway, and hung her purse from the arm of her chair as she sat down to eat. When she went to pay, she dug into the purse for her wallet and found it was missing. She canceled her three credit cards, but not before unauthorized charges were made.

UPSCALE CLOTHING THEFT
A thief robbed an upscale clothing store on Columbus Avenue by sneaking items into a bag. The man entered the store around 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 22, to browse, and the store’s workers failed to see him grab two jackets and three scarves from the store’s shelves and hide them. He then sauntered out of the store and escaped in an unknown direction. The items stolen were worth $2,373. Video surveillance may provide clues to the criminal’s identity, but as of now he is unidentified and wanted for grand larceny.

UPSCALE CLOTHING THEFT 2
On Dec. 29, another clothing store was robbed in a similar fashion. An unidentified thief entered the store on Broadway at 6 p.m. carrying a garbage bag, and managed to fill the bag with clothing and merchandise without being detected. According to the police report, items stolen included 70 women’s sweaters worth $4,800. The man fled the store, and the store’s workers called police 30 minutes later, but the thief remains at large and wanted for grand larceny.

MISSING RINGS
Three rings were stolen from a West 76th Street resident in November. The 31-year-old woman returned to her home from a trip at the end of the month and placed the three rings, all gold with ruby and diamond ornamentations, in a tote bag on her bedroom dresser. When she went to put on the rings for work on the morning of Nov. 28, however, they were gone. There were no signs of forced entry to the apartment, but the woman had allowed housekeeping and other workers into her apartment in the time between her return home and the rings’ disappearance. The three rings were worth $1,900. The thief is wanted for grand larceny.

WALLET STOLEN FROM A DOCTOR’S WAITING ROOM
A man in the waiting area of a doctor’s office lost his wallet when he left to answer a phone call. The victim, age unreported, was filling out medical forms in a medical building on West 59th Street at 3:45 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 28, when his phone rang. He left his wallet on the table and ran out of the room to take the call. When he returned just 30 to 45 seconds later, the wallet was gone. He lost credit cards and $140 cash. Police are working on identifying the thief, who is wanted for grand larceny.

Swindler of UES Woman Indicted

Philip Leopold, who is charged with grand larceny, forgery, falsifying business records and several other charges, was indicted this week for stealing over $1.6 million from an 85-year-old Upper East Side woman who is nearly blind, has hearing problems and other health issues. Leopold, who is 76, first met his victim about 40 years ago, and he began helping her with her finances, writing out checks for her to sign to pay for her household expenses. In 2002, he convinced her to open a trust and name him and the Bank of New York as trustees, and he gradually began siphoning money into that account until it held $2 million by 2003. He began writing fraudulent checks to himself and forged letters to the bank, requesting transfers into his own accounts. According to court documents, Leopold used the stolen funds to pay for a myriad of expenses, from everyday household goods to several life insurance polices for him and his daughter. He spent $63,000 on storage units in Manhattan and used $882,000 to pay off his personal credit cards. Perhaps most appallingly, he spent over half a million dollars at ShopNBC, a television and online shopping site. He bought thousands of items through home shopping channels, including jewelry, electronics, figurines, coin collections, kitchen supplies and a “multi-color fog maker.” Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said in a statement that the actions the defendant stands accused of are “sadly, not uncommon,” and he encourages anyone who is a victim of or suspects someone they know to be a victim of elder abuse to call the DA’s hotline at 212-335-9007.

Historic Walking Tour

Preservation advocacy group Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts is leading a walking tour of the Carnegie Hill Historic District next Saturday, May 12. The walk will meander through the East 80s and 90s, with tour leader Bernie Cohen pointing out the sights along the way. The district, which was designated in 1974 and expanded in 1993, is the second largest on the Upper East Side and contains within its boundaries many rows of townhouses, freestanding residences and apartment buildings. The area was named for industrialist Andrew Carnegie, whose mansion on Fifth Avenue and East 91st Street now houses the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. Participants should meet at the northwest corner of Fifth Avenue and East 86th Street at 1 p.m. Advance payment ($15, $10 for members) is required; call 212-535-2526 or visit www.friends-ues.org/events to purchase tickets.

City Planning to Unveil East Midtown Rezoning

The Department of City Planning will be presenting the results of its East Midtown Zoning Study to Community Board 6 this week. The department is expected to present a plan for rezoning that would create an increase of available commercial space by 20 to 30 percent. The “upzoning” would encourage buildings to be made taller (current zoning does not place a cap on height) in order to gain this space increase and also create ways for newer and more modern structures to be built in the area. The region affected would be between East 39th and 59th Streets, between Third and Fifth Avenues. Mayor Bloomberg has made it clear that he wants to see the region revamped and able to attract new business, especially technology companies; he has said that the city should make sure it is doing all it can to attract business to the area. Some neighborhood groups, including the Turtle Bay Association, are wary of the city making fast changes and will be watching the process closely, as will real estate interest groups who support changes that allow for more development.

Mayfair Block Party

The Church of the Holy Trinity, which is known locally as the “dog-friendly church,” is holding a free community block party this Saturday, May 5, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Animal companions are welcome, and there will be special activities for cats, dogs and other pets. There will be toys and treats for sale, a silent auction to win a custom portrait of a pooch, pet horoscopes and training tips. For humans, there will be a health care booth with a doctor and physician’s assistants on hand to check blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol levels. Kids can play in the bouncy castles, get their faces painted to match their canine companions and participate in crafts. There will also be food from the nearby Genesis Restaurant for sale, as well as beer and wine. The French Cookin’ Blues Band will be supplying the musical vibes for the event. East 88th Street between First and Second Avenues.

Women in Arts Celebrated

The Czech Center and Composers Concordance Records are hosting an evening of art and music by women, “Ladies First,” on Friday, May 18. The opening reception will feature a video installation with interviews of prominent female artists, many of whom will be in attendance at the event. The chamber music concert to follow will feature world premiere works as well as Czech composer Antonin Dvořák’s themes. Audience members can meet the musicians and artists at the after-party. The event runs from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Bohemian National Hall, 321 E. 73rd St. Suggested donation $20, RSVP at ladiesfirstnyc.eventbrite.com.