Purse Thief Grabs Women's Bags In NYC Restaurants: Police

MANHATTAN, NY — A man has been stealing bags from diners in Manhattan restaurants in recent weeks, stealing thousands of dollars worth of high-end goods, police said.

The thief has taken at least four bags from restaurants throughout Manhattan in January, police said. Authorities released surveillance photos of the man this week as they continue to search for him. The man has consistently targeted women in coffee shops and restaurants, taking their purses from the backs of their chairs before slipping away unnoticed, according to police.

The man first began taking high-end bags on Jan. 10, when he stole a purse from a woman getting a morning coffee at La Colombe, 400 Lafayette St. The 24-year-old woman realized her bag was missing while sitting in the coffee shop at about 11 a.m., and surveillance footage later showed the man taking her bag from the back of her chair, police said. The electronics, clothing and valuables in the bag totaled about $3,000, police said.

The next day the man stole a bag from a woman dining in Midtown, according to the NYPD. The man took the woman's bag from the back of her chair as she ate inside a restaurant located at 1410 Broadway, police said. The bag contained credit cards and other valuables and was worth about $110.

On Jan. 24, the man stole a purse from a woman dining at a Le Pain Quotidien restaurant at 708 Third Ave., police said. In total, the bag and its contents were worth $4,500.

The man's most recent steal occurred on Jan. 26, when he stole a bag from a woman dining at the Brookfield Place shopping center, 250 Vesey St., according to authorities. The bag and its contents were worth about $2,500.

In all four incidents, the man took the purse from the backs of the chairs the women were sitting in, police said

Image credit: Courtesy of the NYPD