Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
A New Purse Snatcher: The Lunchtime Bandit
By
Jen Chung
Published May 27, 2008
Modified May 27, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published May 27, 2008
Modified May 27, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
While the man who suspected of stealing women's purses during the morning subway commute has been caught, it turns out there's another fiend with a similar penchant. The Post says a "well-dressed, well-coiffed daytime purse-snatcher has been targeting unsuspecting women as they lunch at Midtown tourist spots."
The thief, who seems to be 35-45 years old and between 5'11" and 6'1" with brown hair, is connected to eight robberies in recent weeks, looking for chairs with women's handbags hanging on them. The Post explains, "surveillance tapes show the scoundrel on April 21, at Chef Yu near Penn Station, casually placing his jacket on the back of a chair, grabbing the handbag by the strap and strolling out." Ladies--keep your purses close to you!
Other restaurants he's hit: The Bread Factory Cafe on Seventh Avenue at 36th Street, Case Europa on Fifth Avenue at 44th Street, Café Duke on Broadway between 40th and 41st Streets, and Koryodang Bakery on West 32nd Street near Broadway.
Photograph of Dax Shephard (who is NOT a suspect), shooting When in Rome with a man purse, by nyer82 on Flickr
Tagged
crime
lunch
lunch time robber
purses
robbery
theft
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC Council to grill Mamdani officials on collapsed Hunts Point Produce Market deal
Council Speaker Julie Menin called the $650 million plan "mission critical."
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Oct 22, 2026 at 2:16 p.m. ET
NYPD arrests 17-year-old in fatal Midtown subway platform shooting
Police say the teenager faces murder and weapons charges in Saturday’s shooting of 26-year-old Bronx resident Darrel Rodriguez.
By
Charles Lane
News
NYPD arrests 17-year-old in fatal Midtown subway platform shooting
Police say the teenager faces murder and weapons charges in Saturday’s shooting of 26-year-old Bronx resident Darrel Rodriguez.
By
Charles Lane
Ex-Adams aide accused of pocketing kickbacks from community program funds
By
Samantha Max
MTA to begin 6-year project to upgrade signal tech on A and C lines in Brooklyn and Queens
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Former NYPD detective held on $1M bail after police say he shot driver on GWB
By
Brittany Kriegstein
and
Charles Lane
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .