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Looting Reported At South Street Seaport After Last Night's Hurricane Sandy Surge
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Oct 30, 2012
Modified Oct 30, 2012
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Christopher Robbins / Gothamist
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Oct 30, 2012
Modified Oct 30, 2012
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A security guard at the South Street Seaport observed approximately one dozen looters early this morning at the Brookstone on Fulton Street. Security guard Maurice Alinton tells us that when the flood water began receding around 3:45 a.m., he started making his rounds around the desolate shopping area, parts of which were still submerged. At that time, according to Alinton, the water was waist deep inside the Brookstone, and looters inside the store were busy wading through it, grabbing headphones and other high-end gadgets.
"I shined my flashlight on them, and they scattered," says Alinton. The looters, some of whom were already wearing the headphones, also absconded with a DVD projector that is usually displayed in the front of the store. Calls to the Brookstone location were met with a busy signal. Police at the scene told us they believe the store's windows were shattered by the storm, not looters.
Indeed, several glass storefronts in the area were shattered, street signs were knocked off, and car windows were smashed. Alinton has been on duty since Saturday. Asked where he's been sleeping, he replied, "Sleep? What sleep?"
There are also unconfirmed reports of looting in Queens, specifically in the Rockaways, and State Senator Malcolm Smith told NY1 he has received reports of looting in Queens. He also told NY1, "There is no more Rockaways on the water. It's just an unbelievable amount of devastation."
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brookstone
hurricane sandy
looting
sandy
south street seaport
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Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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