Dentist run down
A Bay Ridge dentist was killed last week following a harrowing scene that put him in the path of two passing cars.
Officials said that 58-year-old Harry Lewner was paces away from his dental practice at 9 p.m. on December 17 when he crossed Fourth Avenue near 79th Street and was struck by a passing Kia.
The force of the impact sent him stumbling into a second vehicle, which also hit him, officials said.
The driver of the second vehicle remained at the scene as the Kia sped off into the night.
About 90 minutes later the driver of the Kia, identified as 21-year-old Karrissa McFaline of Bristol, Connecticut surrendered to cops in the 7th Precinct in Manhattan. She claimed that she knew she hit something, but didn’t realize she had hit a person until someone had told her about the accident.
Cops charged McFaline with leaving the scene of an accident. No charges were filed against the second driver.
Butcher blast
A worker at a 15th Avenue butcher shop was shot as a heartless thief raided the business last week.
Police said that the woman, the wife of the owner, was putting money in the register at Romeo Brothers Meats and Foods near 78th Street at 4:30 p.m. December 18 when the unidentified suspect burst in and started blasting away.
The thug shot the woman and then rifled through the register, taking an undisclosed amount of cash as his victim writhed in pain on the floor.
A few minutes later the owner of the store returned, finding his wounded wife.
Police said that the woman was rushed to Lutheran Medical Center where she was listed in stable condition after treatment.
Cops are asking anyone with information regarding this incident to come forward.
Calls can be made to the 62nd Precinct at (718) 236-2611. All calls will be kept confidential.
Burglar brawl
A would-be burglar wrestled with an 81st Street resident after he was caught breaking into the man’s home Thursday, police alleged.
Officials said that the resident returned to his home between Sixth Avenue and Gatling Place at 11:45 a.m. on December 17 when he found 40-year-old David Ortiz allegedly reaching into his abode through a shattered rear window.
Ortiz, who had a crowbar in one hand, was reaching into the window in an attempt to unlock the back door, officials alleged.
The victim surprised the middle-aged thief and chased him away, but Ortiz had a lot of fight left in him, police alleged.
After being chased down the block, Ortiz reportedly turned around and grappled with the victim.
Ortiz broke away after a few moments and ran off, but was soon in the hands of responding police officers who charged him with burglary in the second degree, criminal mischief and criminal trespass.
Dirty dating
A conniving couple was arrested last week after they were caught allegedly swiping a watch from the Century 21 on 86th Street.
Officials said that 24-year-old Sergey Smirnov and 25-year-old Ekaterina Timofeeva were perusing the aisles in the department store between Fourth and Fifth avenues at 8:18 p.m. December 15 when Smirnov allegedly picked up a watch.
He pulled the tag from the timepiece and promptly handed it over to his companion, who put the item into her purse – right in front of an employee, police alleged.
Workers grabbed the couple as they allegedly attempted to leave the store without paying for the watch.
Responding officers charged them with petit larceny and criminal possession of stolen property.
Tracked down
Cops didn’t need satellite navigation to track down a would-be thief nabbed for swiping a GPS device from a Toyota parked on Third Avenue.
Officials said that they were called shortly after 1 a.m. on December 9 after the owner of a 1992 Toyota Paseo returned to his parking spot near 72nd Street and saw Roberto Rios allegedly looming over the vehicle.
Realizing he was spotted, Rios dropped a metal rod and ran off, police alleged. The owner of the car soon discovered that his door had been scratched and dented. The portable GPS device he had left inside was missing.
Responding officers caught up with Rios a short time later, charging him with criminal possession of burglar’s tools, criminal mischief and petit larceny.
While the stolen GPS device wasn’t on Rios when he was collared, a gravity knife was, officials said.