Yankee ticket scam
A 38-year-old Hoboken man was scammed out of $2,040 after trying to buy two New York Yankees World Series tickets on Craigslist, police said Thursday.
Police said the man answered a listing for two World Series tickets in Yankee Stadium for Game 6 on Wednesday, Nov. 4. The two tickets were listed at $940 each, plus a $160 service fee, according to Sgt. Det. Sam Williams.
The victim said he contacted a woman named Samantha in Queens for the tickets, but she declined to accept payment via PayPal, an online transaction service.
She demanded a cash payment via Western Union wire service, and the victim agreed to send her the payment of $2,040 on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The victim claimed he was told by the employee conducting the wire transaction that the money would not be released to Samantha without an access code that the victim would have to provide Samantha with.
After depositing the cash payment, the victim called Samantha ask for the tickets to be e-mailed before he would release the access code for the wire transfer.
The victim did not hear back from Samantha and contacted Western Union after he became concerned, police said.
Western Union told the victim the money had been collected, police said. When the victim asked how that could happen without the access code, the employee reportedly said that no code was necessary and that he should not do business over the internet.
Police are investigating charges of theft by deception, but they suspect that the woman used a false name.
Punched repeatedly for 911 call
A resident was attacked after calling 911 to report a man who was looking for open car and apartment doors late at night, police said.
Police were dispatched to the most southern block of Jefferson Street at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1.
When officers arrived, they heard a woman screaming down the street. Williams said they found the woman, a 25-year-old Jefferson Street resident, and her 30-year-old husband, who had been assaulted by an unknown male.
The woman told police the couple was returning from a Halloween party in New York City when they observed a man checking car doors and apartment buildings to see if any doors were unlocked.
They approached the man, police said, and told him they knew what he was doing and that they were calling police.
The man allegedly became aggressive, removed his sweatshirt, and began punching the husband repeatedly in the face during the call.
The woman said she tried to break up the fight by getting in between he two men, but was pushed out of the way by the attacker.
Police said the victim was struck roughly 10 times in the face by the attacker, who fled north on Jefferson Street before police arrived.
The victim had two black eyes, bruises on his hands and face, and two large gashes on his scalp.
Police searched the area, but did not find any suspects. They are still investigating the case, but advised residents not to approach any potential criminals. Williams said just a call to police is sufficient.
Allegedly hits girlfriend, chased to police
Police arrested a man for simple assault after he was found being chased through downtown Hoboken.
On Sunday, Nov. 1, officers patrolling the area of Hudson Street and Hudson Place observed a man running south on Hudson Street with another man running behind him telling him to stop.
Officers stopped the first man, Richard Mianulli, 23, of Caldwell, N.J., who told police he was being chased for no reason.
The second man told police he was chasing Mianulli because he allegedly observed him strike a woman outside of a bar with an open hand.
Outside the bar, police found the woman, who was crying with scratches on her right upper thigh and a small laceration on her wrist, according Williams.
The woman confirmed the alleged assault and told police than Mianulli is her boyfriend, police said.
Mianulli was arrested for simple assault and domestic violence.