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$163K jewelry heist: NYC thieves use distractions to pull off multi-borough thefts, police say
By
Phil Corso
Published Jan 7, 2025
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José A. Alvarado Jr. / Gothamist
By
Phil Corso
Published Jan 7, 2025
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New York City police are on the hunt for a pair of thieves who they say orchestrated a string of high-stakes heists, stealing more than $163,000 worth of jewelry in a series of coordinated robberies across Manhattan and Queens.
The suspects, acting in concert, struck three times in September, using distraction tactics to pull off their crimes without injuring their victims, the police said.
The largest theft occurred on Sept. 20, when the duo distracted a UPS driver near 82 Bowery St. in Manhattan’s Chinatown, making off with a package containing $163,000 worth of jewelry from the back of the truck, authorities said.
Earlier that month, on Sept. 12, the suspects targeted a 33-year-old man changing a flat tire near 11th Avenue and West 46th Street in Midtown, according to police. While the victim focused on his car, the thieves swiped a bag containing jewelry from his vehicle, officials said.
In Queens, just hours later, a similar tactic was used, the NYPD said. Police said the suspects lured a 48-year-old woman out of her car to inspect a tire issue near Northern Boulevard and 159th Street. As she stepped away, they took a package from her vehicle before fleeing on foot, officials said.
Anyone with information was urged to contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or submit a tip online at Crime Stoppers.
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new york city
public safety
manhattan
Phil Corso
Phil Corso is the evening news editor at WNYC/Gothamist. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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