NEW YORK, NY – A moped-riding chain snatcher has struck at least three times in Manhattan in recent weeks, ripping necklaces off unsuspecting victims’ necks before speeding away under the cover of night, police said.
The thief first targeted a 27-year-old man near Avenue of the Americas and West 35th Street around 2:50 a.m. on July 11.
On July 29, a 47-year-old man was hit in a nearly identical robbery outside 139 East 56th Street at 3:25 a.m.
Just two days later, a 27-year-old woman was targeted on Eighth Avenue near 55th Street around 2 a.m.
In all three cases, the suspect approached on a blue-and-black moped, grabbed the victim’s chain, and sped off in different directions. None of the victims were injured. Police released surveillance images showing the suspect dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt, black sweatpants, white sneakers, and a black balaclava.
The NYPD said the suspect is wanted in connection with a grand larceny pattern spanning Midtown North, the 17th Precinct, and the 14th Precinct. Detectives are asking for the public’s help in identifying him as they continue investigating the string of late-night robberies.
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Key Points
- Moped-riding thief snatched chains in three separate Manhattan incidents
- Victims were targeted in Midtown and Upper East Side late at night
- Police released images of suspect in black hoodie, sweatpants, and balaclava
A chain-snatching bandit on a moped is terrorizing late-night Manhattan streets.
