By Carol Tannenhauser
On Wednesday, at around 10:45am, “a man with a firearm” entered La Quinta Inn & Suites on W. 71st St., between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West, and “passed a note to the clerk demanding money,” a police spokesperson told West Side Rag. The clerk gave the man $100, and the man fled.
Police offered no other details, except that the suspect was wearing a navy-blue hoodie, dark pants, and a mask, and that he is still “at large.”
We’ll update when more is known.
By Carol Tannenhauser
On Wednesday, at around 10:45am, “a man with a firearm” entered La Quinta Inn & Suites on W. 71st St., between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West, and “passed a note to the clerk demanding money,” a police spokesperson told West Side Rag. The clerk gave the man $100, and the man fled.
Police offered no other details, except that the suspect was wearing a navy-blue hoodie, dark pants, and a mask, and that he is still “at large.”
We’ll update when more is known.
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Keep voting Democrat, Do you honestly believe you have a right to be safe when you vote for people who have no interest in your safety?
The midterms are over Hochul doesn’t have to pretend anymore, the surge of cops in the subway are gone.
Did he rob it with a banana? A zucchini? A tube of toothpaste?
No. He robbed it with a gun.
It’s time to elect politicians that are ready to enact common sense gun regulations. Vote blue and bring this Republican madness to an end.
Not sure what cops on the subways, who are still there, would do about a robbery of a hotel on a side. street.
Do you have any idea how many bank branches on UIWS were robbed during the Bloomberg years? Clearly not.
Do you HONESTLY think Lee Zeldin would have stopped this from happening? LOLOLOL!!! Pick yourself up off the floor, goober.
If Zeldin were elected Governor, you can be sure he would have dressed up in his suit with the red cape, red boots and a blue shirt with a “Z” emblazoned on the front and flew in from Long Island/Albany and stopped this crime before it even happened!
/s (obviously)
I have noticed that the surge of the cops on the subway is still there.
Please email or call the Governor
https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form
1-518-474-8390
Hit # 3 ( and the wait is very long which is why I have the link above).
Office hours: 9:00am to 5:00pm
In a polite, civil tone – ask the adm to leave a message to rescind bail laws.
I did not vote for her… I voted for Zeldin
But, he lost.
So I am reaching out as a TAXPAYER and politely asking for the bail laws to be rescinded.
The snarky “ You voted for her” does not protect the elderly and children.
Please help them by reaching out to her.
Thank you Cathy for posting useful information
Why would you vote for someone who propagated lies about election fraud?
“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety”
Benjamin Franklin
Really David… someone suggests calling our elected officials and you attack them.
Just for the record, I am a Life long Democrat, but I am frankly getting tired of the high ground my fellow Democrats preach their morals from.
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein
To question the results of an election is a first amendment right. To allow a person to be stabbed, shot, raped, pushed onto the subway tracks, is a dereliction of duty. Someone’s words don’t cause anyone physical pain.
Keep voting for people who do not have your safety as their priority, you get what you voted for.
You write, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein
Does this include our writing comments in the Rag?
I don’t think we should be criticizing our voting choices. This is democracy, not tyranny
Cathy can vote for anyone she wants & anyway, the factoid you found so offensive was a throwaway line, not at all the point of her posting, which was about the importance of direct citizen engagement with our elected representatives which, regardless of your political point of view, is empowering for ordinary citizens.
And here’s another throwaway line: I voted for Hochul.
Just to follow up, I did speak to an administrator at the governors office.
Yes, I waited about 15 minutes, but I was able to leave a very detailed message explaining exactly what was going on in my neighborhood and it was not a pretty picture. The woman, I could hear her typing, wrote every single word down.
Now magnify that by all of you reaching out and politely explaining how the elderly are being targeted and harassed in our community.
Last night I was with friends, many of them who are older than me, and every single one had a really terrible story of being harassed on the street or pushed in the subway or hit….
and I’m talking women who were with walkers and canes.
For those large men here who are reading this with this disbelief, please understand that criminals are in essence bullies who pick on the vulnerable who will not be able to fight back.
Anyway, thank you to everyone in this community who can reach out to the governors office. I’m just one individual, and I’m asking for all of you to help.
Did you also call EVERY SINGLE REPUBLICAN who continue to vote AGAINST sensible gun legislation? Did you think for one second Lee Zeldin had a plan to prevent this from happening? Stop voting for candidates that don’t give AF about your safety OR your rights.
Cathy- While I disagree with your voting choice (and also with your depiction of the subway as a crime-infested hellhole), I applaud your direct action in contacting the governor’s office and finding someone to take a detailed message. It’s been my experience that Albany does listen to constituents and often responds (oh, okay, with form letters, but still…) Thanks for being a good citizen.
This information is very helpful. Thank you.
Thank you Cathy for your thoughtful response. We will all be better off when reports of crime or trash or potholes or any other community issue are met with suggestions of actions we can take to address the problem. Frankly, going to political corners in response to every post is getting old.
There needs to be public education on exactly on what the Bail Reform Bill is and what it isn’t and why it was created. Crime is on the rise all over the country.. The crime problem is complex and requires community involvement: law enforcement, our local representatives and we as citizen to figure out why it’s happening.. Zeldin aside from being an election denier, voted against the assault weapon ban and any kind of gun reform. He played on people’s fears with no concrete solutions and money from self interested Billionaires.
We can be anti-Zeldin and still think bail reform is not working. Just because you’re a Democrat doesn’t mean you believe repeat offenders should be released without bail.
Hi Native, the election is over and Zeldin conceded. All this fighting here is really not productive.
I own a small store here in the city ( in the 90’s) for 17 years and my issue now is that I keep having theft from the same few people. I do call the police, and they do arrest them sometimes. But I’ve been told over and over again due to NY bail laws – even if the same person robs me every day – they can’t hold them.
My issue with your comment is that I’m not sure you understand how these bail laws have hurt my profitability. Next year my lease is up and I will not resign. It’s just not worth the heartache anymore.
Thank you for your post, Tory. What the police tell you goes against what was reported in this article about the second rewrite of the 2019 bail “reform” law:
“The law also expands the number of crimes for which defendants can be required to pay bail, by creating stricter rules for people accused of repeated offenses that harm people or property. Under the new law, bail can be set even for some minor offenses such as shoplifting, if an individual commits more than one such offense in a certain time frame.”
Did you and the police discuss the “certain time frame” issue as it impacts the individuals who repeatedly steal from your store? It sounds as though bail could be set for repeat shoplifters. I don’t know whether the thefts from your store would be considered “negligible”, since it’s not clear to me that the revised bail law defines limits.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/11/nyregion/new-york-bail-laws.html
I think a key piece is missing from the “bail reform” discussion and that is, the district attorney’s office has latitude to select the charges brought against an alleged perpetrator, and what can happen is that a charge may be lowered to a misdemeanor (or even a violation) that would allow the alleged perpetrator to be released without the necessity for a bail discussion.
Yes, I’ve heard of the DA’s office doing that.
Ditto – from another small business owner in the West 90’s.
You have just stated everything I have been saying for 2 years now.
Why re-sign our leases when this is what we deal with week after week. I wish more people on the UWS would understand why businesses are leaving. It is not safe or profitable any longer to be here.
Tory, can you please call Gale Brewer and Danny O’Donnell and Brad Hoylman and let them know why you are leaving? I know I have and they need to hear from other businesses.
Thank you!!
It could have been a toy gun (hope it was). The problem here is our “tolerance“ of criminal acts. What we once thought to be unacceptable and punishable become so common that we have learnt to almost tune out. Do you still find it surprising to see someone took a bottle of shampoo off that CVS shelf and won’t be punished or some repeated offenders keep getting let go? No. We give criminals or those who wanted to but didn’t dare before committing a crime a green light to go ahead. You can get the cops and community involved or ban guns, etc. but there are always people who would for whatever reasons commit crimes, import illegal gun, illegal drugs, sucker punch, knife, etc. if they know they wouldn’t get punished. Sorry, human nature isn’t always or necessarily pretty. Btw, what fear? I can’t say enough – I’m an essential worker who travel in very early and very late hours using public transport. The city’s decline is real.
John Oliver did an excellent piece on Bail Reform that is definitely worth using to educate folks: https://youtu.be/xQLqIWbc9VM
Thank you. I had never seen the clip of John Oliver and think it’s worthwhile for everyone to see it.
Unfortunately, he failed to mention all the other anti-police bills which hamper arrests and the lack of discretion for judges which has resulted in rising crime in NY. The fact that legislators tuck so many aspects into the same bills is the problem. Of course, he’s a comedian so he doesn’t have to be responsible for public safety. Maybe in his infinite wisdom he would like to tell us, then, how someone has a rap sheet with 20, 30, 40 and 50 arrests on it? Clearly bail reform has problems and since a small amount of people are responsible for most of the crime, how do we fix that? The biggest problem is not having speedy trials, which are a Constitutional mandate.
At one time, if you were caught with a gun you went to Rikers. Now, I believe (and I have no doubt all the bail reformers who read WSR will correct me) but as long as you don’t shoot someone you are good. Something is messed up with this system. Do you really want to be the one to sacrifice your life and limb to stand up to the perp with a gun to see if he/she/they have the guts to use it? Write that on your tomb stone.
This hotel has had serious crimes beset it in the past. There was a violent 2016 armed robbery which followed two separate incidences in 2015 – a rape and a murder.
https://nypost.com/2016/03/27/the-hotel-thats-become-a-hotbed-for-crime/
Wow. Most people don’t know this hotel even exists.
73 year old man bashed in the head with a cane on the 1 subway, near 96th Street station.
But crime is on the way down.
Keep voting Democrat, Do you honestly believe you have a right to be safe when you vote for people who have no interest in your safety?
The midterms are over Hochul doesn’t have to pretend anymore, the surge of cops in the subway are gone.
Did he rob it with a banana? A zucchini? A tube of toothpaste?
No. He robbed it with a gun.
It’s time to elect politicians that are ready to enact common sense gun regulations. Vote blue and bring this Republican madness to an end.
Not sure what cops on the subways, who are still there, would do about a robbery of a hotel on a side. street.
Do you have any idea how many bank branches on UIWS were robbed during the Bloomberg years? Clearly not.
Do you HONESTLY think Lee Zeldin would have stopped this from happening? LOLOLOL!!! Pick yourself up off the floor, goober.
If Zeldin were elected Governor, you can be sure he would have dressed up in his suit with the red cape, red boots and a blue shirt with a “Z” emblazoned on the front and flew in from Long Island/Albany and stopped this crime before it even happened!
/s (obviously)
I have noticed that the surge of the cops on the subway is still there.
Please email or call the Governor
https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form
1-518-474-8390
Hit # 3 ( and the wait is very long which is why I have the link above).
Office hours: 9:00am to 5:00pm
In a polite, civil tone – ask the adm to leave a message to rescind bail laws.
I did not vote for her… I voted for Zeldin
But, he lost.
So I am reaching out as a TAXPAYER and politely asking for the bail laws to be rescinded.
The snarky “ You voted for her” does not protect the elderly and children.
Please help them by reaching out to her.
Thank you Cathy for posting useful information
Why would you vote for someone who propagated lies about election fraud?
“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety”
Benjamin Franklin
Really David… someone suggests calling our elected officials and you attack them.
Just for the record, I am a Life long Democrat, but I am frankly getting tired of the high ground my fellow Democrats preach their morals from.
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein
To question the results of an election is a first amendment right. To allow a person to be stabbed, shot, raped, pushed onto the subway tracks, is a dereliction of duty. Someone’s words don’t cause anyone physical pain.
Keep voting for people who do not have your safety as their priority, you get what you voted for.
You write, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein
Does this include our writing comments in the Rag?
I don’t think we should be criticizing our voting choices. This is democracy, not tyranny
Cathy can vote for anyone she wants & anyway, the factoid you found so offensive was a throwaway line, not at all the point of her posting, which was about the importance of direct citizen engagement with our elected representatives which, regardless of your political point of view, is empowering for ordinary citizens.
And here’s another throwaway line: I voted for Hochul.
Just to follow up, I did speak to an administrator at the governors office.
Yes, I waited about 15 minutes, but I was able to leave a very detailed message explaining exactly what was going on in my neighborhood and it was not a pretty picture. The woman, I could hear her typing, wrote every single word down.
Now magnify that by all of you reaching out and politely explaining how the elderly are being targeted and harassed in our community.
Last night I was with friends, many of them who are older than me, and every single one had a really terrible story of being harassed on the street or pushed in the subway or hit….
and I’m talking women who were with walkers and canes.
For those large men here who are reading this with this disbelief, please understand that criminals are in essence bullies who pick on the vulnerable who will not be able to fight back.
Anyway, thank you to everyone in this community who can reach out to the governors office. I’m just one individual, and I’m asking for all of you to help.
Did you also call EVERY SINGLE REPUBLICAN who continue to vote AGAINST sensible gun legislation? Did you think for one second Lee Zeldin had a plan to prevent this from happening? Stop voting for candidates that don’t give AF about your safety OR your rights.
Cathy- While I disagree with your voting choice (and also with your depiction of the subway as a crime-infested hellhole), I applaud your direct action in contacting the governor’s office and finding someone to take a detailed message. It’s been my experience that Albany does listen to constituents and often responds (oh, okay, with form letters, but still…) Thanks for being a good citizen.
This information is very helpful. Thank you.
Thank you Cathy for your thoughtful response. We will all be better off when reports of crime or trash or potholes or any other community issue are met with suggestions of actions we can take to address the problem. Frankly, going to political corners in response to every post is getting old.
There needs to be public education on exactly on what the Bail Reform Bill is and what it isn’t and why it was created. Crime is on the rise all over the country.. The crime problem is complex and requires community involvement: law enforcement, our local representatives and we as citizen to figure out why it’s happening.. Zeldin aside from being an election denier, voted against the assault weapon ban and any kind of gun reform. He played on people’s fears with no concrete solutions and money from self interested Billionaires.
We can be anti-Zeldin and still think bail reform is not working. Just because you’re a Democrat doesn’t mean you believe repeat offenders should be released without bail.
Hi Native, the election is over and Zeldin conceded. All this fighting here is really not productive.
I own a small store here in the city ( in the 90’s) for 17 years and my issue now is that I keep having theft from the same few people. I do call the police, and they do arrest them sometimes. But I’ve been told over and over again due to NY bail laws – even if the same person robs me every day – they can’t hold them.
My issue with your comment is that I’m not sure you understand how these bail laws have hurt my profitability. Next year my lease is up and I will not resign. It’s just not worth the heartache anymore.
Thank you for your post, Tory. What the police tell you goes against what was reported in this article about the second rewrite of the 2019 bail “reform” law:
“The law also expands the number of crimes for which defendants can be required to pay bail, by creating stricter rules for people accused of repeated offenses that harm people or property. Under the new law, bail can be set even for some minor offenses such as shoplifting, if an individual commits more than one such offense in a certain time frame.”
Did you and the police discuss the “certain time frame” issue as it impacts the individuals who repeatedly steal from your store? It sounds as though bail could be set for repeat shoplifters. I don’t know whether the thefts from your store would be considered “negligible”, since it’s not clear to me that the revised bail law defines limits.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/11/nyregion/new-york-bail-laws.html
I think a key piece is missing from the “bail reform” discussion and that is, the district attorney’s office has latitude to select the charges brought against an alleged perpetrator, and what can happen is that a charge may be lowered to a misdemeanor (or even a violation) that would allow the alleged perpetrator to be released without the necessity for a bail discussion.
Yes, I’ve heard of the DA’s office doing that.
Ditto – from another small business owner in the West 90’s.
You have just stated everything I have been saying for 2 years now.
Why re-sign our leases when this is what we deal with week after week. I wish more people on the UWS would understand why businesses are leaving. It is not safe or profitable any longer to be here.
Tory, can you please call Gale Brewer and Danny O’Donnell and Brad Hoylman and let them know why you are leaving? I know I have and they need to hear from other businesses.
Thank you!!
It could have been a toy gun (hope it was). The problem here is our “tolerance“ of criminal acts. What we once thought to be unacceptable and punishable become so common that we have learnt to almost tune out. Do you still find it surprising to see someone took a bottle of shampoo off that CVS shelf and won’t be punished or some repeated offenders keep getting let go? No. We give criminals or those who wanted to but didn’t dare before committing a crime a green light to go ahead. You can get the cops and community involved or ban guns, etc. but there are always people who would for whatever reasons commit crimes, import illegal gun, illegal drugs, sucker punch, knife, etc. if they know they wouldn’t get punished. Sorry, human nature isn’t always or necessarily pretty. Btw, what fear? I can’t say enough – I’m an essential worker who travel in very early and very late hours using public transport. The city’s decline is real.
John Oliver did an excellent piece on Bail Reform that is definitely worth using to educate folks: https://youtu.be/xQLqIWbc9VM
Thank you. I had never seen the clip of John Oliver and think it’s worthwhile for everyone to see it.
Unfortunately, he failed to mention all the other anti-police bills which hamper arrests and the lack of discretion for judges which has resulted in rising crime in NY. The fact that legislators tuck so many aspects into the same bills is the problem. Of course, he’s a comedian so he doesn’t have to be responsible for public safety. Maybe in his infinite wisdom he would like to tell us, then, how someone has a rap sheet with 20, 30, 40 and 50 arrests on it? Clearly bail reform has problems and since a small amount of people are responsible for most of the crime, how do we fix that? The biggest problem is not having speedy trials, which are a Constitutional mandate.
At one time, if you were caught with a gun you went to Rikers. Now, I believe (and I have no doubt all the bail reformers who read WSR will correct me) but as long as you don’t shoot someone you are good. Something is messed up with this system. Do you really want to be the one to sacrifice your life and limb to stand up to the perp with a gun to see if he/she/they have the guts to use it? Write that on your tomb stone.
This hotel has had serious crimes beset it in the past. There was a violent 2016 armed robbery which followed two separate incidences in 2015 – a rape and a murder.
https://nypost.com/2016/03/27/the-hotel-thats-become-a-hotbed-for-crime/
Wow. Most people don’t know this hotel even exists.
73 year old man bashed in the head with a cane on the 1 subway, near 96th Street station.
But crime is on the way down.