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Man Caught Shoplifting Wine Returns to Trash Flatiron Store, Police Say

 A man smashed six wine bottles after he was caught shoplifting, police said.
A man smashed six wine bottles after he was caught shoplifting, police said.
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DNAinfo/Heather Holland

FLATIRON — A man who was caught shoplifting a bottle of wine from a Flatiron store returned minutes later to trash the place, the NYPD said.

NYC Wine Merchants at 745 Sixth Ave. near 25th Street had its doors wide open for a wine tasting on May 16, when 26-year-old Tymel Morgan grabbed a $13.99 bottle of Chilean Terra Andina wine at 4:39 p.m. and took off without paying, said police and an employee at the store.

“I was in the back fixing boxes for delivery, and I saw him on the [security] camera,” said Mohamed Hiflam, an employee. “I walked out of the store and started chasing him.”

When Morgan noticed the worker following him, he abandoned the bottle on the sidewalk and ran away, Hiflam said.

Morgan returned to the store about 15 minutes later, and when a worker told him to leave, he began waving a beer bottle in the employees face, police said.

Morgan then used the beer bottle to knock down half a dozen wine bottles, worth $112.78 total, shattering them on the ground, police and Hiflam said.

Morgan then fled, but police caught up to him about a block away and arrested him, police said.

Morgan was charged with criminal mischief, petit larceny, menacing, criminal possession of stolen property, attempted assault and harassment, according to online court records.

He’s due back in court on May 22. His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Other notable crimes that have occurred in the 13th Precinct include:

► A 27-year-old man who was infuriated after being told he couldn't drink beer inside a deli threw a glass beer bottle at a deli worker's face, causing a severe gash that required six stitches to close, police and the deli owner said.

Ibrahim Homran purchased a bottle of beer from Basil Deli at 495 Second Ave. near 26th Street and began drinking it inside the store on May 15 at 2:37 p.m., said owner Abdul Albishari.

“He was already drunk,” said Albishari. "We told him he cannot drink in the store or we will get a ticket, and he got mad. He drank the beer and then threw it at the worker’s face.”

“Thank god he didn’t hurt his eyes,” he continued.

The attack left the 33-year-old staffer, who was standing behind the counter at the time, with a severe gash on his cheek. He was taken to Bellevue Hospital to get stitches, police said.

Homran was charged with assault, attempted assault and resisting arrest, according to online court documents.

He is due back in court on May 21. His attorney declined to comment.

► A 27-year-old man was arrested after he filmed up the skirts of several women as they were walking up the stairs at the Union Square subway station, police said.

Police spotted Ariel Visoso placing a cellphone underneath the skirt of women within the station at about 12:15 p.m. on May 13, police said.

Visoso was charged with unlawful surveillance. Information regarding his attorney was not immediately available.