Police Arrest Serial Purse Snatcher in Midtown

UPDATE July 15, 1 p.m.: The NYPD finally caught up with a serial purse snatcher after two weeks of hunting for him.

Police say they have charged Maricio Dominguez-Bernal, 64, with nine counts of grand larceny and one count of petit larceny in a Manhattan-wide pickpocketing streak. Dominguez-Bernal does not have a permanent address.

Dominguez-Bernal mostly targeted Midtown restaurants starting on June 11 when he lifted a woman's purse from Tony Di Napoli's. He was caught on camera on June 14 when he stole a handbag at 5 Bryant Park.

ORIGINAL STORY

An older man has been very busy pilfering pocketbooks in Midtown over the past two weeks.

Police say a white man in tan slacks, a plaid collared shirt and loafers has made off with at least 10 purses and pocketbooks of women mostly in Midtown. One of the 10 thefts took place in Battery Park City.

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The first incident occurred June 11 at the Italian restaurant Tony Di Napoli's in Midtown when a 63-year-old woman had her handbag stolen with credit cards inside at 11:30 a.m., according to police. The thief struck again one day later when he took an 81-year-old woman's purse with credit cards and medication inside from 1515 Broadway.

He waited until June 14 at 12:25 p.m. to take a hand bag at 5 Bryant Park which contained credit cards.

On June 16 at noon he committed the first of three robberies on the same day when he removed a purse that contained a wallet, credit cards and a MetroCard from a 40-year old female victim at the Croton Reservoir Tavern at 108 West 40th Street, police said. He then took a purse from 1400 Broadway that contained cash from a 24-year-old. At 1:30 p.m., he stole a pocketbook with cash and credit cards from a Chik-fil-A in Midtown.

A day later, he took a pocketbook containing cash and credit cards from Brookfield Place in Battery Park City — the only incident which took place outside of Midtown.

On June 19 at 2:20 p.m., the individual hit Tony Di Napoli's for the second time, when he removed a hand bag with cash and credit cards from a 67-year-old woman

A week later, he took a hand bag containing cash, credit cards, Gucci glasses, a monthly metro card, and a driver license from a 42-year old woman at Cuban restaurant Cella Dao at 38 West 39th Street.

Police detailed the final theft on June 30 when he removed a handbag that contained a camera and miscellaneous items from a 73-year old woman at 220 West 42nd Street.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.

Photo Credit: NYPD