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Stalker Followed Yoga Instructor to Greenwich Village Studio, Police Say

By Danielle Tcholakian | September 16, 2014 4:09pm
 An instructor at Modo Yoga NYC was followed to the yoga studio by a man who yelled at her on the street, police said.
An instructor at Modo Yoga NYC was followed to the yoga studio by a man who yelled at her on the street, police said.
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Facebook/Modo Yoga NYC

GREENWICH VILLAGE — A stalker who tried to get the attention of a female yoga instructor on her way to teach an early-morning class followed her to a Greenwich Village yoga studio and trapped her inside, police said.

Shannon Gibbons, 28, first spotted the woman at 5:23 a.m. on Sept. 15 on Sixth Avenue toward Modo Yoga NYC, police said.

Gibbons motioned for the teacher to come over to him, and when she ignored him, he shouted at her, "Hey you, come here," police said.

When she ignored him, he started following her, police said.

Police said the woman sped up, but Gibbons kept up with her, trailing 5 or 6 feet behind her for two blocks. With Gibbons in pursuit, she ran up the stairs to the second-floor yoga studio at 434 Sixth Ave. and locked the door, police said.

Gibbons then banged on the door for about 20 minutes, yelling, "Let me in! I want to take yoga classes!" police said.

Police said the woman told him through the locked door to get out of the building and leave her alone, but he kept banging on the door and yelling.

When officers arrived, Gibbons was standing on the stairs outside the yoga studio, police said. Police said he told them, "I just wanted to take yoga classes. I don't know what's the big deal."

Gibbons, who is not a student at the studio, was arrested and charged with stalking and criminal trespass. His attorney did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Modo Yoga did not immediately respond to a voicemail left for comment.

Other recent incidents in the 6th Precinct include:

► A man spat at a police officer after trying to shake the officer down for cash, police said.

Moussa Camara, 22, and another man approached the officer in front of 120 MacDougal St. at 2:08 p.m. on Sept. 13 and Camara harassed the officer for money, police said.

When the officer refused, Camara said, “Alright, you're not gonna give me my money? Fine!” and then spat in the officer's face and ran away, police said.

The officer caught up with Camara and arrested him, police said. He was charged with harassment. His lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

► Police stopped a man for not having a registration sticker on his car, only to discover that he was smoking pot behind the wheel of a stolen vehicle, the NYPD said. 

Police said they spotted the 2014 Toyota Camry parked outside 91 Christopher St. about 3:45 a.m. on Sept. 12, with the engine running. Latee Brockington, 24, was behind the wheel smoking a lit synthetic marijuana cigarette, and he had more marijuana in view, police said.

Police discovered the car had been stolen from a livery car service in the 46th Precinct in The Bronx on Sept. 10.

Brockington was charged with criminal possession of stolen property. His attorney declined to comment.

► Two men were arrested in a raid on a 14th Street smoke shop that was illegally selling untaxed cigarettes, police said.

Police raided Tobacco King at 200 West 14th St. about 12:40 p.m. on Sept. 12, and arrested Sherief Alashwal, 34, and Oadi Alsaede, 21.

Both men were charged with selling untaxed cigarettes, and Alashwal was charged with marijuana possession, after police found Newport 100s with a Georgia tax stamp on them, and 27 packs of cigarettes with a Virginia tax stamp on them, as well as synthetic and real marijuana.

The men were given desk appearance tickets. Alashwal's attorney could not be reached, and information on Alsaede's attorney was not immediately available.

► One man threatened to shoot another in a road rage incident at a West Village gas station last weekend.

Police said Ross Shelley, 28, was at the gas station at Eighth Avenue and West 13th Street about 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 13 when he yelled at another man, "Move your car, motherf-----, or I'll shoot you, I have a gun."

Shelley was arrested on menacing charges and received a desk appearance ticket for Oct. 5. Police said they did not find a gun. Information on Shelley's attorney was not immediately available.