Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Good Samaritan Chases Down Serial Pickpocket Who Targeted 76 Year-Old Woman

By Katie Honan | December 17, 2014 4:16pm
 James Green did years in state prison for burglary and grand larceny charges.
James Green did years in state prison for burglary and grand larceny charges.
View Full Caption
Shutterstock

JACKSON HEIGHTS — A good Samaritan helped chase down an ex-con who stole a 76-year-old woman's wallet while she was grocery shopping, police said.

A witness saw James Green, 55, take cash out of a wallet, which he then threw in a trash bin near Foodtown at 37th Avenue and 76th Street at 1 p.m. on Nov. 19, according to the criminal complaint.

The quick-thinking witness took the wallet out of the trash and found identification for a 76-year-old woman. Then he went after Green, who was still on 37th Avenue, the complaint said.

The witness found $96 in the suspect's pockets. When he asked Green about the wallet, the suspect allegedly told him, "Yeah, I took it from somebody inside."

Green served several stints in state prison for burglary and grand larceny charges dating back to 1979, according to state records.

He was charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property in the current case, the Queens DA's office said.

He had 44 prior arrests, including burglary and grand larceny, with most targeting women over 70, a police source said.

Green's lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment.