Police: Man Punched One Woman, Stole Purse From Another On Upper West Side
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police were searching Thursday night for a suspect who punched and knocked down one woman, and ripped off a purse from another, on the Upper West Side this week.
The first incident happened around 1:50 a.m. Tuesday in front of the Fordham University Lincoln Center campus building at 155 W. 60th St., police said. The suspect came up to a 21-year-old woman and asked for the time, police said.
The woman gave the man the time from her watch, but the suspect said he wanted it from her phone, police said. The woman moved away from the man, who followed her and punched her in the face, police said.
The woman fell to the ground, but got up and ran away, police said. The suspect fled on foot east on 60th Street empty-handed, police said.
The second incident happened around 7:33 p.m. Wednesday in front of 54 Riverside Dr. near 78th Street, police said.
In that incident, the suspect ripped a 73-year-old woman's purse from her shoulder and ran north on Riverside Drive, police said. The woman's purse was found near 80th Street and Riverside Drive, but about $200 were missing, police said.
The suspect was described as a black male in his 20s standing 5 feet 7 to 5 feet 9 inches tall. He was last seen wearing a blue hooded coat, black pants and black sneakers.
Anyone with information was asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS or (888) 57-PISTA for Spanish, log onto the Crime Stoppers website, or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) and enter TIP577.
