Thief Steals from 13 Stores in New York City for Two Months, Causing $17,000 in Losses

Recently, a thief has been on a spree committing crimes in the three districts of New York City, causing damage to 13 businesses in succession. According to police investigations, the thief has been stealing cash and goods from Staten Island, all the way to Brooklyn, making away with over $17,000 in a span of two months. On the 21st, the police released surveillance footage of the suspect and called on the public to assist in providing leads to solve the case.

The police have reported that the suspect typically commits theft during late night or early morning hours, gaining entry into shops by damaging doors and windows. The targeted establishments include restaurants, beauty salons, clothing stores, and bagel shops. Fortunately, there have been no reports of injuries at this time.

One restaurant located on Richmond Avenue in Staten Island fell victim to the same thief three times. The initial incident occurred on the night of January 29th at 11:30 pm, where the thief made off with $10,000. The same shop was invaded again on February 14th and March 3rd using the same method, resulting in losses of $1,500 and $125 respectively.

In the early hours of February 22nd, the thief broke into two businesses on Richmond Road in Staten Island, stealing a cash register containing $200, a desktop computer, and $1,000 in cash.

As March began, the suspect continued to target businesses on Richmond Road and Richmond Avenue, stealing cash registers, credit cards, and $800 in cash.

Subsequently, the suspect expanded his criminal activities to downtown Manhattan, including the financial district and Tribeca. Between March 9th and 11th, he burglarized two businesses on Broadway and Reade St, using a hammer to damage storefronts and taking cash and other items.

Starting from March 12th, the suspect’s crimes concentrated in the southern areas of Brooklyn, including Gravesend and Sheepshead Bay. From March 12th to 15th, at least five businesses were broken into and robbed. The stolen items not only included cash but also cash registers, electronics, alcoholic beverages, and beauty products. One store reported losses as high as $1,500 in goods and $930 in cash.

The New York City Police Department reported that as of March 16th this year, there have been over 2,500 reported theft cases citywide, showing about a 7% decrease from the same period last year with over 2,700 cases.

The police stated that the cases are primarily concentrated within the jurisdiction of the 1st, 61st, 121st, and 122nd precincts of the New York City Police Department. They have released relevant surveillance footage and urged individuals with information to provide leads regarding the suspect’s identity. Those with information are encouraged to call the New York City Police Department’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-8477 or submit tips on the NYPD’s official account @NYPDTips on X platform. All calls will be kept strictly confidential.