Pleads in ’93 rape
Alberto Barriera, 47, being held in Virginia on a drug charge, pleaded guilty on Aug. 3 to the rape 17 years ago of a 16-year-old girl as she entered her Lower East Side building.
Barriera took money and jewelry from the victim on Dec. 18, 1993, then choked her and raped her, according to a spokesperson for the Manhattan district attorney.
Although DNA evidence was collected then, Barriera’s identity was not known, and it wasn’t until 2003 that his DNA was entered in the national databank and a grand jury indicted him under his DNA profile. That indictment stopped the clock on the statute of limitations, said a spokesperson for District Attorney Cy Vance Jr.
Barriera is expected to be sentenced on Aug. 17 to 20 years in prison for the rape after he serves his Virginia drug sentence.
Thugs beat rocker Gavin DeGraw, 34, a rock singer who has been opening for top bands Maroon 5 and Train this summer, was the victim of a gang assault between 3:50 a.m. and 4:20 a.m. Mon., Aug. 8, on First Ave. between Fifth and Sixth Sts. police said. DeGraw had just left friends with whom he had been drinking when an unknown number of white and Hispanic males descended on him, broke his nose and gave him two black eyes, police said.
After the gang fled, DeGraw walked on until 19th St. and First Ave., where he was hit by a cab, according to the Daily News and the Post. DeGraw hails from South Fallsburg in the Catskills, but has a Manhattan apartment. He and his brother Joey own National Underground, a live music club on East Houston St.
Drug-bust auto chase Narcotics detectives were about to arrest a suspect believed to be selling drugs from a car parked at 118 St. Mark’s Place between First Ave. and Avenue A around 7 a.m. Wed., July 27, when the enforcement effort turned into a car chase.
When the undercovers identified themselves as police and asked the suspect, Robert Ball, 37, to get out of the 2008 Chevy he was sitting in, he gunned the engine and took off, forcing the sergeant of the detail to jump out of the way to avoid being hit.
“The defendant continued to operate the vehicle at a high rate of speed for over 10 blocks,” says the complaint filed with the Manhattan D.A. Ball ran several red lights along the route, nearly hit pedestrians and cars and finally crashed into another car and tried to push it past a red light, the complaint says.
After Ball was apprehended, police discovered the car had been stolen earlier that day. He faces larceny, stolen property possession and reckless endangerment charges.
BMX robbers Police are looking for two men riding silver BMX bikes who stopped a pedestrian at the corner of E. 10th St. and University Place at 12:40 a.m. on Mon., Aug. 1, said they had a gun, and rode off with the victim’s money and property. One suspect is described as white Hispanic, between 20 and 30 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall, 160 pounds, medium build and wearing a white T-shirt. The other is said to be black, between 20 and 25 years old, 5 feet 7 inches, 170 pounds and also medium build.
Information may be reported to Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (8477) or www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting CRIMES (274637) and entering TIP577.
L.E.S. armed robbers Police are seeking two suspects in a string of armed robberies between June 29 and Aug. 3 on the Lower East Side.
The suspects are described as thin-built black males, between 18 and 25 years old, one between 5 feet 7 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall, and the other between 5 feet and 5 feet 6 inches tall. They reportedly followed their first victim into a Lower East Side building at 10:25 p.m. Wed., June 29, pulled a handgun and took the victim’s keys, money and cell phone.
At 2:15 a.m. Thurs., July 14, they stopped a man at gunpoint in front of 283 Mott St. and took his MP3 player and keys. About 20 minutes later they stopped a man and a woman at the corner of Rivington and Ridge Sts., waved a gun and took the woman’s bag containing cash, cell phones and credit cards.
On Wed., Aug. 3, they stopped a man at gunpoint at 8:57 p.m. in the rear of 250 Clinton St. and made off with his wallet.
Story ends badly Two suspects mugged a man who was reading a book on a bench in Soho Square at Dominick St. and Sixth Ave. around 4:40 p.m. Sun., Aug. 7, police said. One of the suspects held the victim from behind in a chokehold and the other grabbed the victim’s bag from the bench. Both robbers fled west on Dominick St. to Varick St.
Canal cell snatch A man who tried to engage a woman, 17, in conversation while she was talking on her cell phone in front of 327 Canal St. near Mercer St. around 6:45 p.m. Tues., Aug. 2, grabbed the phone, put it in his pocket and fled, police said.
Soho shoplifters Two men who entered the Helmut Lang shop at 90 Mercer St. between Broome and Spring Sts. around 3:50 p.m. Thurs., Aug. 4, took a black fur jacket valued at $2,495, tucked it into a bag and left without paying for it. An employee told police that one of the two men did buy and pay for another article of merchandise. Another employee said the two were wearing tan suits and had been at the store the day before.
Two men who visited the Ralph Lauren boutique at 109 Prince St. around 11:30 a.m. Fri., July 29, made their way to the basement, where one of them grabbed a Longines Diver’s Auto watch valued at $7,500, put it in his pocket and walked out without paying for it, police said.
Good ride gone A Union City, N.J., woman, 25, locked her Trek bicycle valued at $1,393 to a rack at 75 Varick St. near Canal St. around 4:30 p.m. Tues., Aug. 8, returned at 6:20 p.m. and found it had been stolen.
Bouncer had phone A woman patron of Simyone Lounge, 409 W. 14th St., discovered her cell phone was missing from her shoulder bag around 3 a.m. Sun., July 31, police said. A short time after the victim reported the theft to the management, her phone was found in the possession of a bouncer at the club, police said. He was charged with larceny.
‘It wasn’t me’ A Brooklyn man, 19, told police he was grabbing a smoke outside a bar on the northeast corner of Ninth Ave. at 14th St. at 4:30 a.m. Sun., July 31, when he felt his wallet being removed from his back pocket. The victim turned and confronted the man behind him, who said, “It wasn’t me,” and walked away heading downtown on Ninth Ave. The wallet had personal ID, a MetroCard and a credit card.
Albert Amateau
