Loose Carriage Horse Smashes Into Cars | NYC Top Stories

Good evening, New York City Patch readers! We've assembled some of the most share-worthy stories from the state for today, just for you.

Here are the top five stories around New York City:

1. An NYPD officer accused of punching and choking his girlfriend was arrested in Brooklyn over the weekend, according to police and a report. (Read more on Patch.)

2. A family of three, including a 5-year-old boy, were found dead and riddled with stab wounds inside a Bronx apartment building, authorities said. (Read more on Patch.)

3. Two people died and two others were hospitalized in a fire that ripped through a four-story brownstone apartment building late Friday night, authorities said. (Read more on Patch.)

4. Officers from the 19th Precinct rescued 21 freezing felines found inside a locked Upper East Side minivan on a frigid morning over the weekend, officials said. (Read more on Patch.)

5. Police said a Central Park carriage horse ran loose in Midtown and Hell's Kitchen on Sunday afternoon after getting spooked, dragging the driver and smashing into several parked cars until falling on the West Side Highway. (Read more on Patch.)