Man Goes On Burglary Spree In Chelsea, Midtown, Police Say

CHELSEA, NY — A brazen burglar hit eight Chelsea and Midtown shops this month, making off with cash and thousands worth in electronics, police said.

Authorities are on the look out for the sticky-fingered man who struck a string of businesses starting on Aug. 13 at 1:45 a.m. when he busted into the Sally Hershberger Salon at 25 West 26th Street. The thief fled with an iPad and an unknown amount of cash. A 30-year-old employee arrived the next day and phoned police when she noticed a locked draw was broken open, police said.

The thief struck again on Aug. 16th at 3:20 a.m., targeting the tech start-up Culture I.Q. at 115 West 30th Street. There, he slipped in through an open window and swiped $60 and five laptops, officials said.

Next, he targeted a communications firm, Buly Pulpit Interactive, at 12 West 27th Street and made off with $778 and electronics. His next caper came a day later on Aug. 17 at 4:05 a.m. when he burglarized the same Sally Hershberger Salon. He busted into another locked draw and stole away with an undetermined amount of cash, said police.

The bandit's heist began picking up in frequency with another on Aug. 21 at King Street's Coffee at 121 West 30th Street. This time he managed to remove the bars on the cafe's rear window before grabbing $300 from the register. The following day, Aug. 22, he hit two more shops — Pentagram Archives at 231 West 29th Street and The Alpha Workshop mere steps away at 245 West 29th Street. Employees at both businesses discovered that he snuck in through unlocked rear windows, authorities said.

The man swiped a $4,000 Canon camera and lens from Pentagram Archives and $300 from The Alpha Workshop, it's unclear exactly when he hit the two shops, police said.

The last burglary occurred at Sunshine 88 Trading Inc. at 125 West 30th Street, where he pried the bars off the rear window and escaped with $500 and electronics worth $1,100.

Police describe the man as approximately five-foot-eight and 175 pounds with a bald head. Officials released a security camera image of the suspect last seen wearing a light colored T-shirt, jeans, blues gloves and work boots.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

Photo courtesy of NYPD