Volume 22, Number 24 | The Newspaper of Lower Manhattan | October 23-29, 2009
Police Blotter
Sexual assault
Police arrested Jose Marrero, 32, of Brooklyn on Wed., Oct 14 in connection with the sexual assault on a woman as she entered her building on Varick St. near Broome St. The suspect followed the victim, 23, for three blocks and made suggestive remarks as she was walking home, according to reports. He attacked after she stepped into the lobby, threw her to the floor, and groped her, but fled when two witnesses turned up, according to the charges of first degree sexual assault and second degree burglary filed by the Manhattan District Attorney. Marrero, who was identified in a New York Post item as having done time for drugs, was arrested after the victim picked him out of a photo array.
Parking injury
A Peck Slip sushi chef who sustained a broken foot on Oct. 9 while he was standing at a curbside parking space to hold it for his manager, is suing the driver of another car who coveted the spot and ran over his foot.
Lawrence C. Glynn, the lawyer for the chef, Ke Hai Du, said his client saw the spot opened up in front of Suteishi, 24 Peck Slip, at 5 p.m. and told the manager about it.
Du then went out and stood in the spot to reserve it, but the driver, Paul Todd, tried to pull into the space shortly before the manager, Renee Lee, arrived with her car. Todd’s car bumped Du in the knee, they exchanged words and then Todd gunned the engine and ran over Du’s foot, according to Glynn, who is seeking $5 million in damages for his client.
Police arrived, treated the incident as a traffic accident and filed no charges. Du was taken to New York Downtown Hospital with a broken foot and torn ligaments. Glynn said that Todd, who did not get the spot, also exchanged words with Lee and told her that he was justified and would do it again.
Todd had not responded by press time to the suit filed in Manhattan State Supreme Court.
Body found
Police retrieved the body of an unidentified man floating in the Hudson River near Pier 40 at Houston St. at 7:40 a.m. Fri., Oct. 16. The Medical Examiner’s office is investigating the cause of death.
Bias lawsuit
Some black guests invited to an Aug. 6 private party for the writer Teri Woods at Greenhouse, the club at 150 Varick St. between Spring and Vandam Sts., announced that they filed a civil suit in Federal Court against Barry Mullineaux, an owner, charging the club refused them admission because they are black. White guests invited to the same event were admitted into the club, the plaintiffs said. Greenhouse’s lawyer, John L. Sampson, said in an Oct. 20 statement that he had not been served with notice of the action, but he insisted the owners of Greenhouse “cater to an inclusive array of patrons of all races, religions, creeds and sexual orientation.”
— Albert Amateau
