Crime Watch

Cash Thief Thwarted at Magazine Shop Beware, the person who attempts to steal from a magazine store. On Tuesday, Jan. 3, a 57-year-old man was arrested at a Varick Street periodical shop after attempting to steal $760 in cash. The perp allegedly took the money from behind the counter and tried to flee by pushing a customer aside. Police were soon on the scene.

Group of Kids Steal Thousands in Clothes When it comes to stealing, sometimes there is safety in numbers. Police report that a group of five youths ranging in age from 16 to 23 stole $1,639 in clothing from a premium jeans company's Wall Street store. The young thieves took three hoodies and seven T-shirts off the display racks, put them into two duffle bags and ran off, down Wall Street. This puts a whole new spin on corporate fleecing.

Cards, Cash and MetroCard Taken from Diaper Bag It's amazing how much can be carried-and stolen-from a modern-day diaper bag. A 30-year-old New York woman was dining at a Chipotle on Little West Street the afternoon of Dec. 30 when her $1,000 Louis Vuitton wallet was taken from the diaper bag hanging from her child's stroller. When the woman returned home, she realized everything in her wallet was missing, including three $50 MetroCards, $150 in cash, four credit cards, a Harvard ID card, an insurance card and her driver's license.

Cautionary Tales of Walking Alone Late at Night While Manhattan is certainly safer than it was decades ago, when the subways were littered with graffiti and the Meatpacking District was known more for its prostitutes than boutique restaurants, it still isn't a good idea to walk around late at night alone. Take it from a 32-year-old man who was strolling on Vesey Street around 3 a.m. Thursday, Jan 5. The victim reported to police that a man came up behind him, grabbed his bag and demanded he give up his cell phone and wallet. "I have a gun and I am not afraid to use it," the perp allegedly said, but scurried away when a couple approached the men.

The same advice goes out to 58-year-old man who was walking through a Battery Park City playground around midnight Monday, Jan 9. Police say he walked past five teenagers, ages 12 to 15, who stopped him in his tracks and started to shout "Money." When the man, who obviously has some chutzpah, said "No," one of the youths punched him in the cheek before the group was allegedly scared off by a construction worker and fled.

The Jackpot's in the Trunk Some people on the go carry their lives in their cars, but for a 65-year-old Greenwich Street resident, this method of storage proved ill-advised. She reported to police that she had parked her 2009 Jeep at the corner of Greenwich and Watts streets the afternoon of Monday, Jan. 9, but when she returned, the back had been pried open and over $8,000 worth of belongings had been stolen. Among the missing items were a $2,500 Apple laptop, a $1,500 Leica camera, $920 Helmut Lang leather pants and a $250 Wolford lace bodysuit.