Hospital pain
A mini crime wave last week hit New York Methodist Hospital, the site of at least four prior robberies against patients this year.
In two incidents, patients had their belongings stolen while having tests performed. Here’s a round-up:
• A thief stole a 65-year-old woman’s wallet while she was getting a CAT scan at around 1:30 am on Nov. 7 inside the medical center between Seventh and Eighth avenues. She lost a gift cards and cash totaling more than $1,300.
• A 33-year-old patient had her bag stolen while she got a test done at around 4:20 pm on Nov. 14. This time, the thief got $130.
Short Perch
A thief broke into a popular Fifth Avenue java joint early on Nov. 14.
The owner of Perch, which is between Fifth and Sixth streets, told cops that when he got to work in the morning, he discovered that a side door had been bashed and $5,000 was missing from the till.
Unlucky 13
A musician had her fancy clarinet and other equipment stolen from Lucky 13 saloon on Oct. 27.
The multi-talented artist told cops that he was at the bar, which is on 13th Street near Fifth Avenue, at around 1 am when he realized that his backpack, containing a music stand, the clarinet and a melodica, had been swiped.
Two oyPhones
At least two more Apple smartphones were swiped from their owners as they were using them last week. Here’s the 411:
• A thief sneaked up on a 43-year-old woman as she chatted on her phone while walking on Seventh Avenue near Berkeley Place at around 8:30 pm. He grabbed the pricey phone and fled.
• A thief on a Coney Island-bound F train on Nov. 12 grabbed a woman’s iPhone as the train pulled into the elevated Fourth Avenue station at around 7:05 pm — another reminder to keep the phone in your pocket during the brief period when the F is above ground.
Car talk
At least three cars were broken into or stolen. Here’s the road report:
• A thief swiped a 2003 Subaru from Fifth Street between Nov. 5 and Nov. 8. The owner told cops that he had last seen the $40,000 car between Fourth and Fifth avenues at 5 pm, but it was gone three days later.
• A crook stole a 10-year-old Dodge Caravan from 14th Street between Nov. 2 and Nov. 7. The desirable car had been parked between Sixth and Seventh avenues.
• A jerk smashed into a big SUV that was parked near the Brooklyn Public Library’s Central branch overnight on Nov. 12. The owner told cops that she had left the car opposite the library on Eastern Parkway at around 2:40 pm, but when she returned about 24 hours later, she discovered the broken glass. Library books and a bible had been swiped.
— Gersh Kuntzman
