GRAMERCY — A man who was walking his dog in Gramercy was so outraged when another dog stopped to sniff his pup that he kicked the pooch and knocked its elderly owner to the ground, police said.
Ricky Despiau, 24, was walking his dog at Third Avenue and East 18th Street about 4:55 p.m. on Monday when he encountered a 71-year-old Gramercy resident who was also walking his dog, according to the NYPD.
When the 71-year-old's pooch sniffed Despiau's dog, Despiau kicked the older man's pup away and began arguing with him, police said.
The dispute quickly escalated, with the two pushing each other, until Despiau hit the 71-year-old in the face and knocked him to the ground, cutting and bruising the man's knee and leaving his face swollen, police said.
Despiau was charged with assault. He’s due in court on June 11, NYPD said.
Information regarding his lawyer was not immediately available.
Other notable crimes that occurred in the 13th Precinct include:
► A drunken driver crashed his car into a median near 827 E. 14th St. and the FDR Drive, flipping it on its roof, police said.
Dennis Jackson, 35, was charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated after the incident, which occurred just before 2 a.m. on April 18, police said.
Jackson was released on $1,000 bail, according to court records.
He is due back in court on June 26. His lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
► A 20-year-old woman was arrested after police found her spray-painting an adjacent apartment building from her roof, the NYPD said.
Maria Paz was caught on her roof with cans of blue, pink and orange spray paint, which she was using on a neighboring building on East 15th Street near First Avenue, police said.
Paz was charged with criminal mischief, making graffiti and possession of graffiti instruments, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.
She is due back in court on May 21. Her attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
► A man was caught after he stole two pairs of Gucci sunglasses from the True Religion store at 863 Broadway and then came back to swipe seven pairs of jeans, police said.
The store’s security workers spotted Michael Artis, 22, lift two pairs of Gucci sunglasses worth a total of $770 from a display and leave without paying at about 4:30 p.m. on April 13, according to the criminal complaint.
Artis wasn't caught then, but was arrested when he returned to the store on April 17 at about 10:50 a.m. with two other men and tried to steal seven pairs of jeans, worth a total of about $2,200, police said.
Artis was charged with grand larceny and possession of stolen property, according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. He was released on $25,000 bail, according to court records.
His accomplices got away with about $860 worth of jeans and had not been arrested as of Wednesday, the NYPD said.
Artis’s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
