BROOKLYN

* A middle-aged man was arrested for robbing a woman at knifepoint on a Canarsie street, authorities said yesterday.

Fenrick Alexander, 50, stepped in front of the 31-year-old woman as she was walking to a subway station at East 105th Street and Farragut Road at 6:57 a.m. Wednesday, sources said.

When she tried to go around him, Alexander blocked her way again and pulled a butcher’s knife, sources said. He then allegedly demanded money.

The woman said she had none, and tried to hand him her backpack. But he threw it down and demanded she hand over her jacket, sources said.

Sources said that as she was taking it off, a cyclist peddled up to Alexander in an apparent bid to stop the holdup, so he grabbed the backpack and ran off.

Witnesses called 911 and gave a description. When cops quickly tracked Alexander down nearby, he allegedly lunged at an officer with the knife.

Alexander surrendered after the cop pulled his service weapon. He was arrested and charged with robbery, menacing, weapons possession and resisting arrest.

* A businessman was arrested after he bit the ear of an associate during a dispute in Canarsie, authorities said yesterday.

Tarek Ali, 32, argued over money with the 37-year-old associate as they went over the details of Ali’s purchase of the associate’s store, sources said.

Ali, who is of Arab descent, tried to settle their differences by extending his hand, but the man refused to shake it, which is considered highly offensive in Arab cultures.

Ali then bit the man’s ear and fled, sources said.

Police spoke with Ali’s wife, who was on hand during the alleged attack.

The wife contacted Ali, who returned to the scene and was arrested.

He was charged with assault and menacing. The victim needed seven stitches for his wound.

MANHATTAN

* A man was killed early yesterday when his car slammed into a tree on the Henry Hudson Parkway near West 96th Street, cops said.

The 24-year-old man, whose name was not released pending family notification, was driving southbound on the parkway when his 2003 Infinity struck the tree at 1:10 a.m., police said.

He was rushed to St. Luke’s Hospital, where he died.

* Two thugs were busted on weapons charges after a wild car chase yesterday through East Harlem, authorities said.

Plainclothes officers spotted four men in a rental car driving erratically on Second Avenue near East 108th Street at 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, sources said.

The officers, in an unmarked car, attempted to pull over the rental car. But the suspects sped away, and the cops gave chase, pulling alongside their vehicle.

The suspects swerved and sideswiped the unmarked car before turning right onto East 108th Street.

The cops continued their pursuit as the unmarked car turned onto First Avenue and made a quick left onto East 109th, sources said.

Suddenly, the rental car stopped and the suspects jumped out and ran.

The cops sprinted after them and tackled two of the suspects, while the other one escaped.

Police recovered two loaded handguns, a .45-caliber pistol and a defaced .380-caliber pistol. (m)

QUEENS (s, lcf)

* An argument between two former friends led one of the men to pull out a sharp object and stab the other, police sources said.

Deinesh Jaigobin, 25, allegedly got into the heated exchange with the 32-year-old victim in Jaigobin’s house at 89-46 212th Street at about 8 a.m., the sources said.

Jaigobin allegedly stabbed his pal in the right cheek and the left side of his neck, police sources said.

It was not immediately clear what sparked the confrontation. The weapon was not recovered.

The wounded man, an Ozone Park resident whose name was withheld, was taken to Queens General Hospital where he was listed in stable condition. He was expected to make a full recovery, sources said.

Jaigobin was arrested at the hospital and charged with attempted murder.

THE BRONX

* An Edenwald man was arrested early yesterday after he fatally shot a young man during an apparent drug-related attack, police sources said.

Melvin Orange, 20, confronted Jelani Merrick, 22, at East 226th Street near Laconia Avenue at 9:22 p.m. Monday, sources said.

Orange allegedly shot Merrick in the chest and back.

Merrick was rushed to Jacobi Hospital, where he died. Orange was charged with murder and weapons possession.

STATEN ISLAND

* A mother was arrested for beating her 7-year-old son with a frying pan in their Stapleton home, authorities said yesterday.

Monika Farmer hit her son in the back, legs and buttocks in their Targee Street residence at 7:30 p.m. Monday, sources said.

When the boy returned to PS 14 on Wednesday, school officials noticed the his bruises and contacted police.

Later that day, cops arrested Farmer when she arrived to pick up her son from school.

Authorities said Farmer had no history of child-abuse complaints.

She was charged with assault.