MANHATTAN

A woman who claimed she wanted to have sex with a taxi driver was arrested after she swiped $150 from him near Union Square, authorities said yesterday.

Catherine Patterson, 44, of Brownsville, Brooklyn, jumped into a cab at a red light near East 14th Street and Fifth Avenue at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, sources said.

Patterson allegedly asked the driver to kiss her, then said she wanted to have sex with him because she liked Indian men.

After the driver rebuffed her, Patterson swiped a cup containing the cash and fled on foot, cops said.

The cabby gave chase and caught up to Patterson, who allegedly pummeled and bit him.

A security guard at a nearby store called 911 and held Patterson for police, sources said.

She was charged with robbery, said a spokeswoman for the Manhattan DA’s Office.

Police are searching for a man who struck an 81-year-old woman with a chair during a melee at a New Year’s party at a posh apartment building on Central Park South, authorities said yesterday.

The suspect tossed the chair into a group of revelers who had gotten into a fight on a 21st-floor terrace at 220 Central Park South at around 1 a.m. New Year’s Eve, sources said.

The chair hit the woman in the head, causing a laceration.

A man was arrested for stabbing a friend who had tried to break up a fight between the suspect and an employee of a Greenwich Village cafe, authorities said yesterday.

Macario Martinez, 24, and the friend were sitting in the cafe on West 13th Street near Eighth Avenue at 5:15 a.m. Sunday when Martinez and the employee started arguing, sources said.

The dispute escalated into a brawl, prompting the friend to intercede.

Martinez then turned on his friend, stabbing him in the left forearm with a kitchen knife, police said.

Martinez was charged with assault, the DA’s spokeswoman said.

The victim was treated at St. Vincent’s Hospital.

A restaurant manager caught a thief who swiped $27 from her purse in a Central Park South eatery, authorities said yesterday.

The manager spotted Philip McQueary, 50, in her office at Sarabeth’s restaurant at 1:50 p.m. Saturday, sources said.

When she confronted him, McQueary “partly” admitted to stealing the cash from her pocketbook, the sources said.

He was charged with burglary.

THE BRONX

Two masked burglars made off with $89,000 from a vault after breaking into a Kingsbridge bank, authorities said yesterday.

The suspects allegedly broke through a wall near the back door of the Citibank on Broadway at West 233rd Street.

Once inside, they disabled the alarm and surveillance systems, which briefly caught them on tape.

The two went into an ATM vault room, where they grabbed the cash and fled.

Police said the theft was discovered at 8:45 a.m. on Dec. 31.

BROOKLYN

A crazed man attacked his girlfriend and knocked her out of a second-story window at her Gravesend home, authorities said yesterday.

The trouble began at 3:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day when Andre Padro, 36, allegedly socked the 29-year-old woman in her home on Avenue U at East 14th Street.

A neighbor who heard the attack forced his way into the house and stepped between the warring couple, cops said.

Padro reached over the neighbor and ripped out a lock of his girlfriend’s hair, police said.

He then repeatedly punched and kicked the woman, police said, and she ran into her bedroom.

Padro allegedly barged in and knocked her out of the window, causing her to fall 25 feet.

She suffered minor injuries and ran down the street to call 911.

Padro was arrested and charged with attempted murder and assault.

A Flatbush shoe-store manager beat a rival store boss with a shoe during an argument over stealing architectural plans from each other, authorities said yesterday.

Yaniv Yohananov, 27, clashed with the 42-year-old victim on Flatbush Avenue near Snyder Avenue at 10:45 a.m. Tuesday, sources said.

Yohananov was charged with assault and menacing.

STATEN ISLAND

A young man was arrested after he was caught using drugs on a Staten Island Ferry boat, police said.

John Connolly, 25, was spotted using a needle on the Manhattan-bound ferry at 1 a.m. Tuesday.

A police officer approached Connolly, who had 66 ecstasy pills and 20 vials with Ketamine along with another needle in his pockets, according to a spokesman for DA Daniel Donovan.

Connolly was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance.

An Eltingville man was arrested for holding up a Dunkin’ Donuts and a restaurant, police said yesterday.

Richard Ramos, 43, allegedly threatened an employee at the Dunkin’ Donuts, near the Staten Island Mall at Richmond and Platinum avenues, Monday evening.

He forced the victim to open the register and took an undisclosed amount of cash, but was caught nearby, police said.

He was also wanted for stealing cigarettes and several bottles of vodka from Carmen’s restaurant at Barclay Avenue and Bayview Terrace on Dec. 18, police said.

He was charged with robbery, criminal possession of stolen property and criminal mischief, the DA’s spokesman said.