A package thief forcibly entered an Upper West Side building and stole a whole bunch of packages last week. Surveillance cameras captured his image and police have released a photo and video to the public, hoping someone can help them identify and locate the suspect.
It happened on Thursday, August 10 at about 12:20 a.m., when the unknown individual forcibly entered 145 West 85 Street (between Columbus and Amsterdam avenues) and removed numerous unattended packages from the location. The packages contained assorted items valued at $1,925.
The suspect fled eastbound on a Citi Bike.
The individual is described as a 30- to 40-year-old man standing approximately 5’10” with a medium build. He was last seen wearing a long-sleeve shirt, long pants and sandals.
Anyone with relevant information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or by sending a direct message to @NYPDTips on Twitter.
Citibike, classy.
Given the illegal use of so many Citibikes, perhaps it’s time to track all of the, like Revel scooters. Right, the GPS system for a peddle only bike would need a battery.
For decades, the #1 crime on the UWS was theft of unattended property (e.g., computers and bags at Starbucks, bags in shopping carts, etc.). The new #1 crime is theft of packages from lobbies. Landlords, supers and tenants need to work together to find solutions. First and foremost, NEVER let anyone in the building (including buzzing them in) unless you are certain who they are. Second, tenants MUST pick up packages promptly! Too many tenants leave packages in the lobby for too long. And if a tenant is going to be away, make sure a neighbor picks up their packages daily. That’s a start.
Same thing happened in my building. I caught the guy and got him on camera. Called the cops who showed up 6 hours later and they wouldn’t even make a report. I argued with them until they said they would arrest me. Here’s the guy in action: https://youtube.com/shorts/EqZ9iKDSF8w?si=Y3aREzWklLY2uBnn no police report ever filed bc the cops are either jerks or too lazy