Police Blotter
Cops arrest armed
thief behind Central
Park robberies
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
The NYPD arrested a crook who
robbed two people at gunpoint in
Central Park last week.
Andrew Thorton, 34, of Auburn,
Alabama, was arrested on May 6. He
was charged with two counts each of
robbery, menacing, and criminal possession
of a weapon.
According to police, at 8:25 a.m.
on April 30 a 55-year-old man walked
into Central Park at the 72nd Street
and Central Park West entrance when
he saw an unknown man sitting on the
ground at the park entrance holding a
small sign depicting “Bike for sale $75.”
The unknown man asked the victim if
he wanted to buy the bike, to which the
victim said no.
The suspect then asked the victim for
$5, which the victim declined again and
began to walk further into the park. He
sat down on a bench at the 72nd Street
and 5th Avenue exit when he saw that the
suspect had followed him and was now
standing in front of him. The crook then
pulled out a black semi-automatic pistol
and demanded money from the victim.
Fearing for his life, the victim complied
and handed over $1,000. The
Man slain in East Harlem apartment building
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
Detectives are investigating
the shooting of a man at
a East Harlem apartment
building on May 8.
Offi cers from the 23rd Precinct and
NYPD PSA 5 found an man fatally shot
within an apartment building at the
Lexington Houses, located at 110 East
99th St., at about 11:37 p.m. on May 8.
Law enforcement sources said the
victim, believed to be in his 20s, was
found unconscious and lying face
down in a stairwell with a gunshot
wound to his torso.
Responding EMS units pronounced
him dead at the scene.
Police have withheld his identity,
pending family notifi cation.
At this point, detectives have yet
PHOTO COURTESY OF NYPD
A sketch of the suspect.
suspect then fl ed the scene on a black
bicycle northeast towards the Conservancy
Pond.
The suspect struck again on May 4. At
3:55 p.m. that day, a 67-year-old woman
was walking westbound on the west path
near Swan lake inside of Central Park
when she was approached by the suspect,
who was riding a black bicycle. The
suspect stopped her, pulled out a gun
and said, “I need to take your purse.”
The victim asked if she could keep her
phone, to which the suspect said no. Fearing
her safety, the victim handed over her
purse, which contained two credit cards,
an iPhone 10, eye medication and approximately
$200 dollars. The thief then
fl ed the scene on the bike northeast on the
west path towards 5th Avenue.
Police recovered the victim’s cellphone
near the scene using the “Find My
iPhone” app. No injuries were reported
as a result of either incident.
to ascertain a possible motive for
the shooting, or a description of the
suspected shooter. The investigation
remains ongoing.
Anyone with information regarding
any of these shootings can call
Subway crook rips cash out of
man’s pocket on LES: NYPD
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
Police need the public’s help in fi nding
the latest subway criminal: a thief who
attacked and stole cash from a 75-yearold
man at a Lower East Side subway station.
Law enforcement sources said the victim
attempted to make a purchase at a Metro-
Card machine inside the mezzanine of the
Grand Street station on the B/D line at about
1 p.m. on May 8 when the suspect made his
move for money.
According to authorities, the crook
reached into the victim’s pants pocket and
attempted to grab a wad of cash. Having
noticed the attempt, the victim then grabbed
the perpetrator’s hand in an attempt to stop
him.
Seconds later, cops said, the suspect
swiftly yanked about $450 in cash out of the
man’s pants pocket, tearing it in the process.
The crook then fl ed from the scene in an
unknown direction.
Offi cers from the 5th Precinct and the
NYPD Transit Bureau responded to the incident.
The victim reported minor leg pain,
but refused medical attention.
On May 11, the NYPD released video footage
of the crook fl eeing out of the Grand
Street station. He’s shown wearing a gray
hooded sweatshirt, dark colored pants and
white sneakers.
FILE PHOTO/LLOYD MITCHELL
Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for
Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You
can also submit tips online at nypdcrimestoppers.
com, or on Twitter @
NYPDTips. All calls and messages
are kept confi dential.
Images of the suspect who robbed a
man at the Grand Street subway station
in Manhattan on May 8, 2021.
Anyone with information regarding the
suspect’s whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers
at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial
888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips
online at nypdcrimestoppers.com, or on
Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls and messages
are kept confi dential.
Homeless man
booked for murder
at Midtown shelter
BY ROBERT POZARYCKI
Detectives have arrested a homeless man for the
gruesome stabbing of a man inside a hotel room
in Midtown on May 8.
Offi cers from the Midtown South Precinct found the victim,
Stanely Castor, 31, stabbed multiple times about the neck,
shoulder and head inside The Grand hotel at 38 West 31st
St. at about 11:35 p.m. on May 8. Castor had been living at
the hotel, which has doubled as a temporary homeless shelter.
EMS units rushed Castor to Bellevue Hospital, where he
was pronounced dead.
Detectives also did not release a possible motive for the
killing. Offi cers had arrived at the scene after receiving a
911 call about an assault in progress.
Following an investigation, police arrested another resident
at the hotel, identifi ed as Patrick McDonough, 49. He
was charged with second-degree murder.
The Villager (USPS 578930) ISSN 0042-6202 Copyright © 2021 by Schneps Media is published weekly by Schneps Media, One Metrotech North, 10th floor Brooklyn, NY 11201. 52 times a year. Business and Editorial Offices: One Metrotech
North, 10th floor Brooklyn, NY 11201. Accounting and Circulation Offices: Schneps Media, One Metrotech North, 10th floor Brooklyn, NY 11201. Call 718-260-2500 to subscribe. Periodicals postage prices is paid at New York, N.Y.
Postmaster: Send address changes to The Villager, One Metrotech North, 10th floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Annual subscription by mail in Manhattan and Brooklyn $29 ($35 elsewhere). Single copy price at office and newsstands is $1. The entire contents of newspaper, including advertising, are copyrighted and no part may be reproduced without
the express permission of the publisher - © 2021 Schneps Media.
6 May 13, 2021 Schneps Media
/nypdcrimestoppers.com
