Crime Watch UWS 11.23.23

Man Mugged at Knifepoint by Three Teens

A 37-year-old man told police that at 6:27 p.m. on Wednesday, November 1, three 16-year-old male youths approached him at the southwest corner of Columbus Ave. and West 83rd St. One of the youths displayed a knife that he pointed at the victim and demanded his moped and phone, putting him in fear for his safety. The suspects then fled the location but were soon picked up by police. The property stolen and recovered included an iPhone 13 valued at $520 and an electric scooter priced at $650, making a total of $1,170.

Moped Rider Snatches Woman’s Phone

A 31-year-old woman reported that at 5:05 p.m. on Sunday, November 5, she was texting on her phone at the bus stop at the northeast corner of West End Ave. and West 64th St. when a man drove by on a moped, snatched her phone and fled eastbound on West 64th St. She chased after the suspect, following him all the way to Riverside Blvd. and West 64th St., when she lost sight of him. A police search of the neighborhood proved fruitless. The stolen phone was an iPhone 14 Pro valued at $1,500.

Two Women Steal the Property of Woman Waiting for Bus

According to police, at 7:33 p.m. on Monday, November 6, a 46-year-old woman was waiting for a bus at the northeast corner of Amsterdam Ave. and West 61st St. when two women approached and grabbed her phone along with her driver’s license, credit card, MetroCard, library card and $10 cash. Police stopped two female suspects, but the victim couldn’t positively identify them. The victim canceled her credit card, and fortunately, no unauthorized charges had turned up at the time of the police report.

Newsstand near Lincoln Center Burglarized

A 41-year-old man stated that at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, November 7, he closed his newsstand on the southwest corner of Amsterdam Ave. and West 65th St. When he came back at 6:50 a.m. the following morning, he unlocked the side door and discovered a number of items missing. He said that no one else had access to the newsstand, but that he had made a police report previously for a key that he had left in the door. Surveillance video showed three men entering the newsstand at 1:38 a.m. that night who then fled eastbound on West 65th St. The property stolen included two Apple iPhones, 50 BIC lighters, 50 packages of candy, 50 iPhone accessories and $150 in cash, making a total stolen of $950.

Witness Scares off Two Moped Thieves

Police reported that at 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 9, a 40-year-old man was standing on West 83rd St. when he witnessed two men attempting to steal a moped across the street. The suspects wound up fleeing north on Columbus Ave. on a motorcycle without stealing the moped. They had been using power tools to accomplish the theft and left behind an unspecified tool. The moped the suspects had attempted to steal was a gray 2018 Yamaha Zuma 125 valued at $2,000.