Spelling and punctuation issues aside, I'm having trouble following this story. What $20? Why? What was the hammer for? Did he plan on bashing this guy's skull in? If so, why are we proud of how this was resolved again? How is luring a thief into your apartment considered a good idea? Why did he have to follow the thief up the stairs if he was going through the front door, wouldn't it make more sense to just wait for the guy? The thief figured our how to use the dating website account but couldn't be bothered to check if the name on the door was identical to the person whom he took the phone from?

Either this is really bad reporting or all parties involved are complete idiots.

In most states, threatening someone w/ injury is classified as Assault. In the state of NY, it's Menacing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assault#United_States

http://ypdcrime.com/penal.law/article120.htm#p120.15

>"I put the $20 in his hand to defuse the situation as fast as possible, but I had a hammer in my hand just in case."

Well that could have ended poorly.

this isn't exactly programming related.

Nor does it really have to be.

I think this was an interesting case wherein someone used available technologies in a clever manner to retrieve one's stolen personal property. (Though the man could not have handled the situation more poorly.)

Not really something you see on an everyday basis.