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Police Searching for Cash-Hungry Thief in North Bronx

By Gwynne Hogan | February 23, 2015 8:34pm
Diner Robber
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NYPD

RIVERDALE — A cash-hungry thief has broken into a slew of Bronx eateries last week all in the dead of night, police say.

Detectives are trying to identify the masked man caught in security camera footage, who they believe is involved in three break-ins in the 50th Precinct.

The burglary string began on Feb. 17 at 1:10 a.m. when the perpetrator muscled his way into the Corner Café at 3718 Riverdale Ave and made off with a flatscreen TV valued at around $200 and ransacked the store, police said.

"I've taken steps as far increasing my security," said 55-year-old Ken Dubin, the owner of the kosher vegetarian restaurant. Dubin said he was relieved that the crime hadn't been more serious. “It's not like it was a midday armed robbery. It happened at night.”

The crook struck again, police said, about 40 minutes after the first theft, at the nearby Tibbett Diner located at 3033 Tibbett Ave. in Kingsbridge. This time the perpetrator pried open the door to the entrance way, but couldn't crack the second door.

"This is [the] first time it's happened in a long time," owner Nick Diakakis, 32, said. "[We're] being a little more cautious."

Finally, the thief hit Yo Burger at 3726 Riverdale Ave. at 6:00 a.m. on Feb. 21 and stole an undisclosed amount of cash from the registers and pried open the office door with a crowbar, police said.

Management at Yo Burger could not be reached for comment. 

Anyone with information on the crime spree should contact Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477).