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Photos: Man In Wheelchair Stealing Purses In Midtown
By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 20, 2013
Modified Sep 20, 2013
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NYPD
By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 20, 2013
Modified Sep 20, 2013
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A man in a wheelchair who steals handbags from inattentive women in Manhattan is on the run being sought by the NYPD. Manhattan investigators have gotten tired of the unidentified thief's crime spree, and they want the public to play a role in bringing him to justice. According to police, the man is responsible for three grand larcenies in Manhattan in August and September:
- Incident #1: A woman whose bag was left unattended inside the lobby of the Marriot Marquis Hotel in Times Square noticed it was stolen around 10:45 p.m. on August 19th. The bag contained a wallet, an iPad, necklace and money.
- Incident #2: Around 1:30 a.m. on Friday, August 30th a woman noticed her handgag missing at Nobu at 40 West 57th Street. The bag, which contained credit cards and money, had been hanging underneath her chair.
- Incident #3: Shortly before midnight at the Havana Central Restaurant, a woman "placed her purse on an empty chair next to her, she got up to dance and when she returned it was missing." The purse contained a wallet, credit cards, and money.
The NYPD is describing the suspect simply as "a male Hispanic in a wheelchair." Investigators believe that the suspect may actually be disabled, and not merely using the wheelchair as a prop. Here's another photo of the suspect making a wheely stylish getaway after the Nobu job:

Tagged
grand larceny
nypd
wheelchair
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John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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