Brooklyn Business Owners Baffled by 'Spree' of Decades-Long Thief
A string of brazen robberies has plagued Brooklyn businesses over the past two months, with a suspect striking fear into the hearts of shopkeepers across the borough. According to police, the thief, described as approximately 6 feet tall and slim, has targeted nearly a dozen stores and ATMs where women are working, using verbal threats or displaying a knife to intimidate victims.
The most recent incident took place on November 30th at a store in Downtown Brooklyn, where the suspect allegedly threatened a young woman into exchanging currency, forcing her to hand over money from the register. Witnesses described the perpetrator as having worn a black jacket from The North Face, according to surveillance footage released by the NYPD.
Police believe that the thief's modus operandi is specifically aimed at targeting female victims, with several women reporting being physically harmed during these incidents. In one instance, a 29-year-old woman was pushed to the ground, sustaining minor injuries.
The Brooklyn Police Department has reported a notable decline in robberies across the borough this year, with decreases of both 10% and 7% compared to the same period last year in total and specific areas respectively. Despite this decrease, authorities are urging anyone with information regarding these crimes to come forward and report it to Crime Stoppers at (1-800) 577-TIPS (8477) or submit their tips on the website.
The NYPD has released surveillance images of the suspect for public awareness, in a push to bring an end to this "spree" of thefts.
A string of brazen robberies has plagued Brooklyn businesses over the past two months, with a suspect striking fear into the hearts of shopkeepers across the borough. According to police, the thief, described as approximately 6 feet tall and slim, has targeted nearly a dozen stores and ATMs where women are working, using verbal threats or displaying a knife to intimidate victims.
The most recent incident took place on November 30th at a store in Downtown Brooklyn, where the suspect allegedly threatened a young woman into exchanging currency, forcing her to hand over money from the register. Witnesses described the perpetrator as having worn a black jacket from The North Face, according to surveillance footage released by the NYPD.
Police believe that the thief's modus operandi is specifically aimed at targeting female victims, with several women reporting being physically harmed during these incidents. In one instance, a 29-year-old woman was pushed to the ground, sustaining minor injuries.
The Brooklyn Police Department has reported a notable decline in robberies across the borough this year, with decreases of both 10% and 7% compared to the same period last year in total and specific areas respectively. Despite this decrease, authorities are urging anyone with information regarding these crimes to come forward and report it to Crime Stoppers at (1-800) 577-TIPS (8477) or submit their tips on the website.
The NYPD has released surveillance images of the suspect for public awareness, in a push to bring an end to this "spree" of thefts.
like they're being targeted on purpose? The fact that the thief is specifically looking out for women and using threats to get what he wants is super scary 
and I'm so glad the police are trying to catch him ASAP! 
But y'know, with 12 stores hit already, it's like they're trying to send a message or something 
. I hope Crime Stoppers gets some good leads soon 'cause this is getting ridiculous 
I'm getting really frustrated with these robberies. Like, what's the point of targeting women working alone? It's just so unfair. The thief thinks they can get away with threatening people and hurting them? 
It's not like it's going to stop here. The police are doing their thing, but I wish more people would come forward with info. We need to build a community where no one feels scared or threatened on the job.
It's time for Brooklyn businesses to band together and support each other - we should be helping each other out instead of getting hurt by this guy.
? I mean, I know times have changed and stuff, but come on! It's just not right. The NYPD is doing what they can, releasing those surveillance pics and all that jazz, but it feels like they're not taking this as seriously as they should be. 10% and 7% decrease in robberies? That's cute, but let's get real, we need to stop this guy before he hurts someone seriously 
.
. Like, can't they just call it what it is? A string of robberies committed by a person targeting women? Geez.
. It's just not right that they're having to deal with this stuff on top of running their businesses.
That's just lazy. He thinks he's some kinda master thief or something.
. What if this guy's just really good at finding out where the most vulnerable spots are in Brooklyn? Like, what if it's not the woman's fault that she's working alone at night 
.
. If I were a shopkeeper, I'd be totally freaking out over all these incidents 
I hope someone comes forward with some info soon so they can put an end to this 'spree' of thefts and bring back some peace of mind for these brave women 
- Rosa Parks 
. the NYPD is doing its best, but we can't do this alone – every single one of us needs to be vigilant & report any suspicious activity! 
