MIDTOWN — A Central Park South resident lost more than $86,000 worth of watches and other valuables after contractors were let into his apartment to fix water damage while he was out of town, police said.
The 78-year-old man was out of town on business when management at his building at 240 Central Park South contacted him to inform him of a water leak in the apartment above his around 8 p.m. on March 3, the NYPD said.
After the man gave management permission to access his apartment and repair the damage, the building hired contractors and gave them access to his home, he told police.
When the man returned to his apartment around 4 p.m. on March 22, he discovered a $25,000 Piaget gold watch, a $35,000 Patek Philippe gold watch, two Cartier watches worth a total of $13,000, a $10,000 Audemars Piguet watch, two gold Tiffany & Co. cufflinks valued at $3,000, a set of collectable baseball cards, and a Tiffany & Co. pen had been stolen from his bedroom closet, police said.
The watches and cufflinks were valued at $86,000, but police didn't say how much the baseball cards and Tiffany & Co. pen were worth.
Police did not say which contractors the building’s management hired to carry out the work.
A woman who said she worked for the building's management company said she had not heard about the incident and could not comment.
