POLICE BLOTTER

Strauss Houses drug bust

Police from the Manhattan S. Narcotics command arrested 25 people on Fri., Feb. 1 in connection with a cocaine, crack, heroine and marijuana ring operating out of the Strauss Houses complex at 224 and 334 E. 28th St., according to the office of New York City Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan.

Five of the defendants, whose indictments were unsealed on Tues., Feb. 5, used their Strauss Houses apartments to conduct sales and stash cocaine and crack, according to the charges. Six others were also charged with felony drug sales. The remaining defendants face misdemeanor charges.

The investigation began in April of last year and included more than 30 undercover drug buys and documented drug sales that went on in the complex from morning to late at night.

Among the felony defendants were Yolanda Acevedo, 46, her daughter, Ashlee Garcia, 20, and her son, Jonathan Garcia, 20, all of 224 E. 28th St. James Keenan, 48, is another defendant whose Apt. 13G at 224 W. 28th St., was used to cook crack. Two other women charged with felony drug offenses are Onita Bruce, 34, and Tara Lawlor, 38, both of 244 E. 28th St. Also charged with felony offenses were Michael O’Shea, 24, and Tyriek Mornix, 22, both of 224 E. 28th St.; Lenn Johnson, 42, and George Robinson, 28, both of 344 E. 28th St.; and William Martin, 18, of 485 First Ave.


Charged as groper

Aries Spears, a comedian who has appeared on “MADtv” and other television programs, was arrested at about 1 a.m. Sat., Feb. 2, after he finished his two sets at Comix, the club at 353 W. 14th St., when a woman patron accused him of fondling her, according to the office of Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau. Spears, 32, was freed on his own recognizance pending a March 4 court appearance to answer the charge of forcibly touching the complainant.


Bust in bomb hoax

Police arrested Chi Vuong, 31, of Queens on Wed., Jan. 30, and charged him with making a false report on May 1, 2007 about a bomb on the L tracks of the Union Sq. subway station. Police responded to the 911 cell phone call last year but found no bomb. A call from the same cell phone reporting a fight in Queens led police to connect Vuong’s cell phone with the bomb threat. He was freed last week on $1,500 bail pending a May 13 court appearance.


Molested on Seventh Ave.

A woman, 21, was walking down Seventh Ave. at 29th St. at 1 a.m. Sun., Feb. 3 when a man walking toward her suddenly grabbed her breast and her crotch, police said. The victim pushed and made him fall over a garbage can. The suspect got up and fled south on Seventh Ave.


Harassing store

A group of about 10 teenage boys and girls walked into the Apple computer store on W. 14th St. at Ninth Ave. at about 2:15 p.m. Sun., Feb. 3 and began harassing customers, bad-mouthing Apple products and rearranging displays, police said. The gang left after 15 minutes, and nothing was reported stolen.


Loud and aggressive

Police arrested Carlos Lozada, 23, at 3:35 a.m. Sat., Feb. 2 in front of 313 W. 17th St. just west of Eighth Ave. and charged him with interfering with government operation. Police said the defendant, “in a loud aggressive manner,” interfered with an officer making an arrest of someone else. When Lozada was being arrested he pushed the arresting officer. Both of them fell, and other cops came to handcuff the suspect, police said.


Bad Lotus position

A Staten Island man at Lotus, 409 W. 14th St., told police another patron attacked and punched him on his way to the men’s room at 2:25 a.m. Fri., Feb. 1. Once in the men’s room, his assailant prevented him from leaving by holding the door closed and punching him again. The victim said that someone took his gold chain, valued at $5,000, sometime during the fracas.


Crowned peacemaker

A patron of Shadow, the club at 215 W. 28th St., was trying to break up a fight at 3:22 a.m. Sun., Feb. 2 when someone hit him on the side of the head with a bottle, police said. The victim, 21, sustained cuts in the scalp.


Loaded gun, grass bag

Police arrested Isaiah Gonzalez, 25, on the southwest corner of Ninth Ave. at 25th St. at 2:51 a.m. Sat., Feb 2 and charged him with illegal possession of a loaded handgun. At 1 a.m. Fri., Feb 1, police arrested Jose Rodriguez, 19, in front of 245 Ninth Ave. near 25th St. and charged him with carrying a plastic bag of marijuana.


Arrest in theft

Police arrested three men who were trying to steal clothing from La Perla, a Gansevoort Market boutique at 425 W. 14th St. at about 1:40 p.m. Sun., Feb. 3. Charged with grand larceny were Xavier Morehead, 20, Jonathan Kalt, 19, and James Tillman, 19.

— By Albert Amateau