Crime Watch UWS 03.21.24

Man Punched by Stranger inside Residential Facility

A 69-year-old man told police that at 2:05 p.m. on March 6, he was cooking inside a residential facility at 330 West 95th St. near Riverside Dr. when an unknown individual punched him in the face, causing substantial pain to the victim’s right jaw. The victim was taken to Mount Sinai Morningside for treatment, and police continue to look for his assailant.

Arrest Made after Attack with Golf Club

A 37-year-old man reported that at 11:08 p.m. on March 7, he got into a verbal dispute over money with a 63-year-old male acquaintance inside 145 West 108th St. near Amsterdam Ave. The younger man’s acquaintance then struck him in the left arm with a golf club, causing a severe laceration and substantial pain in the victim’s elbow and the lower part of his left arm. The victim was treated and released inside the 24th Precinct station house by EMS personnel, and Thomas Dessaure was arrested and charged with assault.

Man’s Husband Picked up for Assault

According to police, at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 9, a 43-year-old man’s 50-year-old husband asked him for money in their home at 5 West 86th St. at Central Park West. The younger man refused the request, and the older man told his partner to leave the house. The younger man then put the couple’s kids in their bedroom when his husband grabbed him by the throat, applying pressure, and pushed him, leaving scratches on his neck. Amir Sidis-Simkhai was arrested and charged with assault.

Elderly Woman Victimized in “Compromised Bank Account” Scam

A 77-year-old woman living on Central Park West stated that at 12:15 p.m. on March 6, she got a call from someone claiming to be Peter Jones, a Bank of America representative, saying her account had been compromised. “Jones” told the woman to withdraw $15,500 from the BOA branch at Columbus Ave. and West 100th St. and then take a cab to a Bitcoin machine in Fort Lee, NJ. She did so, and the suspect created an account and deposited her money, but the machine took only $14,600. He then told the victim to withdraw $8,000 more at a nearby bank, but her account had been flagged and she wasn’t able to withdraw the money. She wound up being scammed out of $14,600.

Another Mailed Check Intercepted and Altered

Police reported that at 8 a.m. on August 20, 2023, an 82-year-old man living on West 104th St. said he had mailed a check and soon after noticed a withdrawal from his bank account that he had not authorized. He discovered that the check he had written and mailed had been cashed by someone other than his designated payee and the original amount of the check had been altered. In all, the victim was out $17,200. Apparently, he did not report the crime to police until March 6, 2024.