Crime Watch UES 05.25.23

Burglary Suspect Hiding in Meatball Shop Arrested

A 60-year-old male employee of the Meatball Shop at 1462 Second Ave. between East 76th St. and East 77th St. told police that at 20 minutes after midnight on Saturday, May 6, he had closed up the store and was changing clothes to leave when he saw a 24-year-old man hiding in the basement. The employee called out for a fellow worker, when the man hiding reached into a pocket. The employee then grabbed the man and recovered a knife from his hand. The employee and his colleague held the suspect until police arrived. The employee said the suspect had apparently entered the establishment through a window or the basement, and Ismael Bayu was arrested and charged with burglary.

Police Nab Pizza Shop Burglar

A 71-year-old female employee of Marco Polo Pizza and Deli at 1289 Madison Ave. near East 90th St. called police upon finding that the cellar door had been misplaced. She said that at 9:19 p.m. on Saturday, April 22, an unknown suspect had entered the store via the cellar door and removed a cash register drawer and $200 cash before fleeing in an unknown direction. The cash register was valued at $1,500, making a total stolen of $1,700. Gregory Gauger was arrested on Tuesday, May 2, and charged with burglary.

Victim Helps Recover Stolen Citi Bike

A 34-year-old man reported that at 8:15 a.m. on Thursday, May 4, he left a Citi Bike in the vestibule of the CVS Pharmacy at 1622 Third Ave. at East 91st St. When he returned five minutes later he found that the bike was gone. Using the man’s phone app and GPS navigation, police were able to track the suspect and stolen bike, and Alan Friedman, 51, was arrested and charged with grand larceny. The Citi Bike stolen and recovered was valued at $1,200. When police confronted the suspect he said, “That’s my bike. OK, take it.” It seems that the victim had the serial number for the bike, which matched the serial number of the suspect’s bike when the latter was stopped by police.

Package Thief on Parole Picked up Again

According to police, at 1:30 a.m. on Monday, May 8, a 41-year-old man unlawfully entered and remained in the package room of an apartment building at 60 East End Ave. at East 82nd St. for the purpose of stealing packages. He was observed inside the package room opening parcels not belonging to him. Juan Colon was arrested and charged with burglary. Police said he was out on parole.

Task Force Raids UES Smoke Shop and Bakery

At 1 p.m. on Monday, May 15, police along with the NYC Sheriff’s Office and other city agencies conducted a tobacco inspection at the Yorkville Smoke Shop at 1143 York Ave. near East 62nd St. and seized six cartons of untaxed cigarettes plus 1.98 pounds of marijuana. Kyla A. Lockhart, 19, was arrested and charged with possession and sale of unstamped cigarettes and criminal possession of cannabis. The suspect protested, “I’m just the worker.” Thirty minutes later the same task force conducted an inspection at the Sweetooth Bakery at 1662 First Ave. near East 87th St., shutting it down and arresting Iakovos Solanakis, 27, on a charge of criminal possession of more than 1 pound of cannabis and criminal possession of a chemical agent spray.