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Burglars Saw Hole In LES Bank Roof During 4th Of July Fireworks
By
Scott Heins
Published Jul 6, 2014
Modified Jul 6, 2014
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By
Scott Heins
Published Jul 6, 2014
Modified Jul 6, 2014
Share
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Under the distracting cover of lights, thunderclaps, and patriotism, an unknown number of thieves used a saw to cut through the second-story roof of a Lower East Side bank and break into its holdings Friday. According to police, the burglary took place at Popular Community Bank the evening of July 4th, while the rest of the neighborhood savored the return of Independence Day fireworks to the East River.
The Post reports that the thieves utilized a nearby construction site to access the roof of the bank, which is located at 134 Delancey Street; a portion of fence behind a nearby Burger King was found to be cut and rolled back. The exact time of the heist remains unclear, but it's suspected that most of the sawing took place after 9 p.m. while the Macy's Fireworks Display was going on. "The fireworks were really loud, so if someone tried to cut through or do something, you wouldn't hear it," local resident Danielle Lovier told the Post.
The burglary was reported to the NYPD by bank staff who discovered on Saturday that the property had been removed. They add that approximately $290,000 was taken, and the investigation is still ongoing.
Tagged
bank robbery
burglary
LES
Lower East Side
manhattan
theft
Scott Heins
Scott Heins is a freelance photo and video journalist based in New York City, and a frequent contributor to Gothamist + WNYC. His work often centers around labor rights, housing, and policing. In 2018-2019 he traveled to four states while covering a wave of public school teachers strikes, with work featured in The New York Times, The Intercept, Getty Images, Splinter, and Bloomberg Photos. Scott is a dues-paying member of the National Writers Union's Freelance Solidarity Project.
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