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Police Blotter, Week of Feb. 27, 2014

A.T.M. mugger thwarted
Police arrested an 18-year-old man on Feb. 20 after he allegedly tried to steal a woman’s purse moments after she withdrew cash from a bank in the Financial District.

The woman, 26, told cops that she took out $250 from a bank near the southern end of Broadway around 2:45 p.m., after which she was immediately approached by the man, who tried to strike up a conversation with her outside the building. Feeling nervous about the situation, the woman said she walked away and into a nearby deli — but then claimed that when she walked back outside, the suspect continued to follow her.

After she kept walking and turned onto Morris St., the man allegedly tried to grab her purse, which contained the cash and other valuables, but the woman struggled and kept him from slipping away. The commotion was spotted by nearby cops, who quickly swooped in to apprehend the man, police said.

He was charged with attempted robbery.

Construction site theft
A homeless man was arrested early on Feb. 20 after police said he tried to steal tools from a construction site near City Hall.

Workers at the 5 Beekman St. site told cops that the man, 44, snuck into the work area around 2 a.m. and snatched two drills, a charger and a battery before attempting to flee the scene. Crawford was stopped before he could get away, and when police arrived on the scene in response to a call from the workers, the found the equipment stashed in his pockets.

No clues left behind
A Tribeca man fell victim to a thief who broke into his car on Feb. 23, police said.

The man, 64, told cops he was driving around that day while doing errands with his son. When he returned to his Duane St. home around 2 p.m., he realized that his laptop and several bank checks had been stolen from the inside of the car, although there were no signs of forced entry, according to the police report.

Would-be burglar flees
Police are investigating what they believe was an attempted burglary at a Fulton St. residential building on Feb. 19.

A 40-year-old man, who said he was staying with relatives at the 119 Fulton St. apartment, told cops he first heard a noise coming from the roof around 2:15 a.m. After checking out in the hallway, the man said he saw someone running frantically down an emergency exit staircase.

Although the alleged intruder never entered any of the apartments before dashing out of the building, cops said they are still trying to identify the suspect.

Hospital vandal
An unknown vandal smashed two glass doors at New York Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital sometime between the night of Feb. 16 and the next morning, police said.

Staff from the 170 William St. hospital told cops that they saw the shattered glass around 6 a.m., after the two doors had been locked since 7 p.m. the previous night. There appeared to be no signs of burglary or any entry into the building, according to police.

Student’s laptop lifted
A student at the Borough of Manhattan Community College got an unfortunate Valentine’s Day surprise when his laptop was reportedly stolen from a gym locker.

The 20-year-old student told cops he was working out in the B.M.C.C. fitness center, at 199 Chambers St., from around 2 to 6 p.m. that day, after making sure to secure his belongings. But when he returned to the locker, he found it had been busted open, and the $1,100 MacBook Air was gone.

And then on Feb. 16, another man fell victim to a sneaky gym locker thief — this time at Planet Fitness in the Financial District.

The man, 40, said he was exercising from around 11:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., and found his lock broken upon returning. Stolen items included his credit and debit cards, as well as a parka, winter boots, sweater and sweatpants — probably leaving him with a very chilly trip home that day.

No cruise control
A Staten Island woman was attacked while waiting for her ferry ride home from Lower Manhattan’s Whitehall terminal early on Feb. 17, police said.

The victim, 37, told cops she had initially gotten into an argument with another woman inside the South St. terminal shortly after midnight. Moments later, police say the attacker punched the victim in the head, leaving some bruises.

The alleged attacker fled the scene before police could arrive.

Rogaine robbers
A couple of apparently self-conscious thieves stole more than $600 worth of hair growth formula from a Financial District convenience store on Feb. 15, police said.

Employees for the Duane Reade at 67 Broad St. told cops that the two unknown men — one believed to be in his 20s, the other in his 30s — entered the store around 10:45 a.m., snatched the numerous packs of Rogaine off a shelf, and fled the scene before anyone could stop them. Police did not say if the thieves are bald.

—Sam Spokony