Stranger Assaults Man in Building Lobby
A 19-year-old man said that at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 28, he was walking out of his building at 420 West 19th St. near Ninth Ave. to head to the gym when an unknown man walked up to him in the building lobby and started a confrontation which led to the stranger punching the young man in his face, causing pain and discomfort. The victim refused medical attention, and there were no weapons or injuries.
Wrong Guys in Rite Aid
Police reported that at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 30, a 45-year-old man entered the Rite Aid store at 282 Eighth Ave. at West 25th St., began removing merchandise from a shelf and placed it in a bag. The man then tried to leave the location but was confronted by a 53-year-old male employee. The suspect told the employee he had a knife, saying, “If you come close to me I’m gonna use my knife!” No knife was actually seen or displayed, and the suspect fled southbound on foot on Eighth. A search of the neighborhood proved fruitless. The stolen merchandise included 37 bars of Dove soap totaling $37.
A 62-year-old man from Brooklyn told police that at 9:15 p.m. on the same day, Saturday, April 30, a 53-year-old male stranger hit him multiple times with a closed fist, causing swelling and pain to the left side of his face, inside the same Rite Aid location. The victim was taken to Lenox Hill Hospital for treatment, and John Blann was arrested and charged with assault.
Pair Attack Man Emerging from Hotel
A 31-year-old man stated that his 37-year-old male friend had been drinking on Sunday, May 1, inside the Dream Downtown hotel at 355 West 16th St. near Ninth Ave. Then, at 2:30 a.m., following a verbal dispute, two individuals – one a man and the other an individual of unknown gender – kicked and punched the 37-year-old with closed fists, causing contusions to his face, as he was exiting the hotel. The victim was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue for treatment, and police are still searching for the two suspects.
Steamed
A 30-year-old man living on Seventh Ave. told police that at 12:04 p.m. on Thursday, April 28, he received a message from the web chat site Discord saying that his account at the video game storage site Steam had been banned and he should contact that site to get his account back. When the 30-year-old contacted Steam – presumably using a link provided in the message – a representative named “Solo” told him he needed to send money to unlock his account. The 30-year-old complied and sent $500 in Bitcoin before sending an additional $9,000 in Bitcoin after the representative asked for more money. Finally, when the alleged rep asked for even more funds the victim realized he had been scammed.