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Woman Drags Victim by Hair in Meatpacking District Attack, Police Say

By Danielle Tcholakian | March 6, 2015 5:58pm | Updated on March 9, 2015 9:02am
 A woman dragged another woman by her hair in Gansevoort Plaza, police said.
A woman dragged another woman by her hair in Gansevoort Plaza, police said.
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Payton Chung/Flickr

MEATPACKING DISTRICT — One woman attacked another late at night in the Meatpacking District, dragging the victim by her hair and kicking her in the ribs until three police officers intervened to pull them apart, the NYPD said.

Police said Sophia Tolbert, 23, accosted the 26-year-old victim in front of 5 Ninth Ave. about 3 a.m. on March 1.

Tolbert grabbed the woman's hair with both hands and pulled the woman to a nearby planter, then kicked the woman in the ribs, terrifying bystanders in the popular nightlife area around Gansevoort Plaza, police said.

Police said an officer intervened after hearing the 26-year-old woman screaming, "Help me! Help me!"

The officer tried to pull Tolbert off the victim but ultimately needed to get two other officers to help him, police said.

It was not immediately clear if Tolbert and the victim knew each other before the fight.

Tolbert was charged with assault, resisting arrest, attempted assault, disorderly conduct and harassment.

Her attorney did not immediately respond to a message left for comment. Tolbert was released without bail and is due back in court on April 13.

Other recent incidents in the 6th Precinct include:

► A 23-year-old man punched a police officer in the eye after being asked to leave the sidewalk outside the 6th Precinct police station, police said.

Police said Gordon Akhtob was outside the stationhouse at 233 W. 10th St. on Feb. 28 about 3:05 a.m. and refused to leave.

He punched a 25-year-old police officer in his right eye, police said.

Akhtob charged with assault, aggravated harassment, resisting arrest and harassment, according to court records.

He was released without bail and is due back in court on April 23.

Information about his attorney was not immediately available.

► A couple was nabbed stealing wallets and iPhones from the purses of several women at the Red Lion on Bleecker Street, police said.

Police said Mark Bouzi, 33, and Clafdya Lahens, 25, walked into the 151 Bleecker St. bar together on March 1, and about 1 a.m. Bouzi was spotted by the manager with his hand in a woman's bag while the woman's back was turned, police said.

An officer searched Lahens' bag and found a $200 red Louis Vuitton wallet, a $150 Marc Jacobs wallet, with a total of six credit cards between them, as well as three iPhones and one other cellphone.

Lahens told the officer Bouzi gave her the items and told her to put them in her bag, police said.

The items belonged to six women in their 20s who were at the Greenwich Village bar.

Lahens and Bouzi were both charged with grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and petit larceny.

Bouzi was also charged with one count of false personation after he initially told police his name was Jean Pierre.

A judge set Bouzi's bail at $10,000 bond or $3,500 cash, which he did not post. He was expected back in court on March 6.

Lahens was released without bail and was also expected back in court on March 6.

Their attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It was not immediately possible to speak with a manager at Red Lion.

Check out the map below for these and other reported crimes and arrests in the 6th Precinct. The most recent arrests are marked with yellow flags.