Crime Watch

BY JERRY DANZIG

Tool CrimeSome crafty thieves made off with tools. Sometime between the hours of 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 23, and 5:30 a.m. the following morning, someone broke into a construction site at 60th Street between Madison and Fifth Avenues and stole $13,000 worth of tools. Apparently, the thieves entered the premises after breaking the lock on the front door. Police are continuing to investigate.

Sleight of HandbagOne shoplifter knew quality merchandise when he stole it. At 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 22, a man entered a store on Madison Avenue between 70th and 71st Streets. He took a woman’s handbag from a display and concealed it under his coat before leaving the store without paying. The bag was valued at a lofty $25,090.

Address for DistressAt noon on Christmas Eve, a 25-year-old female Upper Eastside resident inquired about an apartment rental she had seen listed on the website Apartable.com. She contacted the real estate agent listed and wired $3,000 to a specified Wells Fargo account as a deposit on the property. When she finally visited the promised property located on 39th Street between Second and Third Avenues, she discovered that the address did not exist.

Armed and LarcenousAn armed robber held up a local department store. At 11:23 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 26, a man entered a retailer at 86th Street and Lexington Avenue. Brandishing a silver firearm, he forced six of the store employees into the back of the location before ordering the manager to remove all the money from the registers and put it in a bag. The robber got away with $8,700 and was last seen fleeing on foot on 86th Street, heading towards Third Avenue.

A Couple of CrooksOne store’s security personnel really earned their salary the day after Christmas. At 10 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 26, a 21-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman picked up items of merchandise from the shelf of a high-end Third Avenue store, concealed the goods on their persons, and exited the location. Fortunately, sharp-eyed security personnel detained the couple and recovered the merchandise. The items stolen and recovered were three Moncler jackets and various items of Ralph Lauren underwear with a total value of $2,600. The couple were then arrested and charged with grand larceny.