Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Harlem man dies in custody after shoplifting arrest, NYPD and court records say
By
Charles Lane
and
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Mar 23, 2026
Modified Mar 23, 2026
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 .
Barbora Dudova via Getty Images
By
Charles Lane
and
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Mar 23, 2026
Modified Mar 23, 2026
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
A man died in custody Sunday while waiting to see a judge on a shoplifting charge, according to court records and the NYPD.
Vincent Thoms, 51, was being held at 100 Centre St., which also houses Manhattan Criminal Court, when police called for emergency medical workers around 6:45 p.m. Sunday, department officials said Monday.
The NYPD said Thoms was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A police official said Thoms was arrested at a CVS in East Harlem and became combative in custody, spitting at medical personnel. Thoms was placed in the medical holding facility at central booking, and was conscious and alert when the NYPD called EMS, the official said.
But after EMS arrived, Thoms had three seizures, the police official said. He was taken to the hospital, where he died, police said. The department’s Force Investigation Division was looking into the incident.
According to court records and a criminal complaint, Thoms had been due to appear in court for the shoplifting case on Monday.
Information for his lawyer was not immediately available.
In a statement, the Legal Aid Society said it was “heartbroken” to learn of Thoms’ death, and called for the City Council to question what the group called the NYPD’s “overuse” of custodial arrests for low-level charges.
Last year, police notified the public of nine deaths at NYPD holding facilities. At least four of those deaths were for low-level offenses like drug possession and petit larceny, according to officials and records. After calls from lawmakers and advocates, the city’s Department of Investigation launched an inquiry into the deaths.
Police said Thoms lived in East Harlem, about 10 blocks south of where he was arrested.
This story has been updated with more information.
Tagged
lower manhattan
manhattan
new york city
public safety
Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
Read more
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park
People who said they knew her described her as an artist and a familiar presence in the Ramble.
By
Charles Lane
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 7:04 p.m. ET
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
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 .