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Man Punched in Mouth for Denying Stranger a Cigarette in Village, Cops Say

By Irene Plagianos | August 28, 2013 11:16am | Updated on August 28, 2013 12:00pm
 A Village man was punched in the mouth early in the morning of Aug. 24 when he refused to give another man a cigarette, cops said.
A Village man was punched in the mouth early in the morning of Aug. 24 when he refused to give another man a cigarette, cops said.
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GREENWICH VILLAGE — A man was punched in the mouth early Saturday morning when he refused to give another man a cigarette, cops said.

The victim was leaving work about 4:30 a.m. when a man began following him outside of the 158 Bleecker St. club Le Poisson Rouge, asking for a smoke, the victim told police.

When the victim refused, the man blocked his path and walloped him in the mouth, police said. The blow to the face caused "serious physical injury," according to the police report.

David Coleman, 35, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault, police said.

Coleman is due back in court on Oct. 24, according to court records.

His lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Other notable crimes in this week's NYPD blotter for the 6th Precinct include:

► A worker at the popular Greenwich Village watering hole Off the Wagon was arrested last week for stealing $1,500 from the MacDougal Street bar, police said.

Police said Juan Ibanez Porras admitted to swiping cash from his employer’s office at 109 MacDougal St. about 11 p.m. on Aug. 17, police said. "I took the money," he told officers, according to his criminal complaint.

Police said there was video surveillance showing Porras, 24, removing a set of keys, entering the office, then leaving shortly thereafter.

Porras was charged with one count of grand larceny, court records show. He faces up to four years in prison if convicted.

Off the Wagon owner Mitch Bankchik said he was shocked that Porras, who'd worked as a busboy and porter for the bar for the past six months would steal from him. "He seemed like a nice kid," said Banchik. "We were surprised."

Porras is due back in court on Aug. 29. Information on his defense lawyer was not immediately available.

Off the Wagon's owners did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.

► Unattended phones were stolen from a table at the Japanese restaurant Fukurou on Saturday, police said.

Dereck Velasquez, 20, and an unnamed accomplice walked into the 87 MacDougal St. restaurant about 1 p.m., grabbed an iPhone 5 and an iPhone 4 and then walked out, according to cops.

The robbers began to run but were chased by a Fukurou employee, police said.

Only Velasquez, who was not carrying the phones, was nabbed by officers, police said.

Information on the charges against Velasquez was not immediately available. His lawyer's name was also unavailable.