West Side Crime Watch

Compiled by Megan Bungeroth

Victim Speaks Out Against Abuser An 18-year-old woman came to the 20th Precinct this week to report a string of violent incidents allegedly committed by her boyfriend over a series of weeks. In January, the perpetrator brandished a boxcutter and threatened to kill the woman and her family. The next day, he punched her in the mouth with a closed fist, causing bleeding, swelling and severe pain, to keep her from leaving his bedroom when she expressed her intention to do so. Another time, he wrapped a rope around her throat, choking her, and only relented when he realized she had pepper spray. Finally, knowing that the victim believes she may be pregnant, he threatened to punch her in the stomach.

While the victim was at the precinct in the presence of police officers, the perpetrator sent her text messages again threatening to hit her. The police were able to arrest a 21-year-old man for the alleged crimes based on the report. Speaking about a separate crime that occurred in 2010 on the Upper East Side for which the defendant was recently sentenced, District Attorney Cy Vance said this week that dating violence among teens and young adults is an underreported crime that can be just as serious and dangerous as adult domestic violence cases.

"I encourage anyone in a potentially abusive relationship to call my Office's Domestic Violence Hotline at 212-335-4308."

Medical Stickup On Monday at about 6:20 p.m., an unknown man entered K's Beauty Parlor on West 84th Street and threatened the owner, demanding cash. The suspect, described as in his twenties, 5-foot-6, skinny, with brown eyes, wielded a hypodermic needle filled with red liquid as a weapon. The owner refused to give the man money, so he grabbed two iPhones from the counter and fled in a yellow taxi. When the owner reported the crime, police were able to track the thief via the two iPhones and arrested two men, a 21- and 25-year-old, for the robbery.

Pocket Picker A worker at a café on the Upper West Side reported that he took off his jeans for his shift and placed them on a shelf in the restaurant's basement, leaving $3,000 in cash in the pocket. When he returned, he found his pants askew and his money gone.

Save Money, Lose Money A woman reported that after she hired a housekeeper through the discount coupon site Groupon, a $3,600 pair of 2-carat diamond earrings vanished from the dresser where she had left them.

Grinning Thief A dentist from Woodstock, N.Y., parked his Honda Accord outside a residence on West 74th Street overnight, and the next day found his rear window broken. The smash-and-grab artist absconded with over $12,000 worth of dental equipment, including a $9,000 X-ray sensor and several hand tools.

Innocent By-Sitter A woman was sitting on the couch of a residential building lobby on West 78th Street when she said an unknown black man, 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, approached her and demanded her cell phone. She refused to give it to him, but after he repeatedly asked for it, she relented and handed it over, at which point the suspect whacked her on the head with an unknown object, causing a laceration, and fled the building.