Police Blotter
Armored car robbery
The FBI arrested Robert Blackmon, 34, an armored car driver, on Tuesday night, Sept. 30, and charged him in connection with the robbery that morning of $300,000 from an armored car courier in front of a bank at 397 First Ave., at 23rd St.
The suspect, employed by Dunbar Armored service for nine months, phoned in sick on Monday and asked to take the next day off, according to the office of U.S. Attorney Michael J. Garcia.
At 9:30 a.m. Tues., a man in a gray-hooded sweatshirt and a baseball cap waited in the ATM vestibule of the M & T Bank branch, grabbed a bag with the money from a woman courier as she was leaving, took her gun and fled, a spokesperson for Garcia said.
A Dunbar employee told police the robber on the surveillance tape looked like Blackmon, and the F.B.I. arrested him at 9 p.m. at his home in New Jersey. He is charged with robbery and possession of a firearm.
Smell the flowers
Police arrested Robert Gideon, 53, in front of a flower shop at 299 Third Ave. at 23rd St. on Saturday night, Sept. 27, and charged him with assault for hitting another customer in an argument over a bouquet they both wanted to buy. The suspect was charged with hitting his adversary in the mouth and the arm with a golf club. Gideon, of 145 E. 23rd St., was freed on his own recognizance pending a Jan. 21, 2009, court appearance.
Birds of a feather
A woman who was selling feathered earrings in Union Sq. Park at 15th St. without a vendor’s license became angry when police officers told her to close and move on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 27. The suspect, Whitney Harris, of Brooklyn, hit one of the cops in the chest and tore off his badge, police said. She was charged with reckless endangerment, assault and unlawful vending, according to a spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney.
Domestic fight
A report of a fight in an apartment at 151 E. 20th St. during the early hours of Sat., Sept. 27, brought police to the scene. Robert Zahra, 26, accused his girlfriend, Barbara Jonas, 29, of hitting him and chasing him around the apartment with a pair of scissors. Jonas accused Zahra of threatening her with a metal coat hanger. Both were charged with menacing.
Attempted robbery
Police arrested James Torres, 38, at about 3 a.m. Tues., Sept. 9, after a witness said he saw the suspect beating and going through the pockets of a victim on Ninth Ave. at 28th St. Torres, a resident of 264 Tenth Ave. in the Elliott-Chelsea complex, was charged with attempting to rob the victim, with whom he was acquainted. He was being held pending a Dec. 18 court appearance.
False membership scheme
New York Sports Club management told police on Mon., Sept. 29, that they were investigating a scheme of fraudulent club membership at the branch at 270 Eighth Ave. that cost the club at least $10,000 between April and August this year. The scheme involved the use of the identification provided by legitimate New York Sports Club members. The company said it suspected a former employee of the fraud.
Lots of pot
Police stopped the driver of a car in front of 524 W. 24th St. between 10th and 11th Aves. on Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 30, for a traffic violation and were overcome by the smell of marijuana. They arrested Omar Sow, 20, after finding 172 bags of marijuana on the passenger seat beside him plus a scale and many empty glassine bags. Police charged him with possession with intent to sell the substance.
Knife and bat
Police arrested Andrew Stiglitz, 29, inside the doorway of 340 W. 28th St. at 3:50 a.m. Sun., Sept. 29, and charged him with attempted robbery and menacing for threatening one man with a bat and trying to steal his cell phone, while menacing another with a knife. The victims were attacked on the street and told police where the suspect was.
High-end burglaries
A resident of 323 W. 23rd St. told police she returned home from a trip on Sunday night, Sept. 28, and discovered expensive watches were missing, including a platinum A. Lange & Sohne valued at $60,000, a gold Ulysse Nardin valued at $30,000, a gold Cartier Pasha valued at $5,000, and a Breitling with a crocodile strap valued at $2,000.
A resident of 350 W. 22nd St. told police that someone entered the apartment between noon and 3 p.m. Fri., Sept. 26, and made off with a bottle of Champagne and a bottle of vintage French wine, valued at $400 each, and two laptop computers with a total value of $5,200.
Teen robbed
A 16-year-old from 152nd St. told police that two teenagers whose names he didn’t know took him to the sixth-floor hallway of 420 W. 19th St. in the Fulton Houses to meet a girl on Monday night, Sept. 29. The two youths knocked the victim to the floor, took his cell phone and iPod, and fled, police said.
Shoplifting
Security guards at American Apparel, 181 Eighth Ave., stopped a man for trying to walk out without paying for a jersey tank top, which he had tucked into a plastic bag at about 9 p.m. Mon., Sept. 29. Willie Horn, 46, was charged with larceny.
Bag grab
A woman standing in front of Cabana, the club at 88 Ninth Ave. in the Maritime Hotel, at 11 p.m. Sat., Sept. 27, was surprised by a man who came from behind, grabbed her bag and fled east on 17th St., police said. Her Indian passport, a cell phone, bank card and MetroCard were in the bag.
— By Albert Amateau
