FINANCIAL DISTRICT — Nearly $8,000 in cash, cigarettes and phone cards was stolen from a busy Financial District newsstand during an overnight burglary last week, police said.
“It was a very big hit for us,” said Chitan Patel, 35, who helps run the busy 182 Broadway kiosk with his family. “It will take us months to make that money back.”
Patel said he locked up the gate that protects the newsstand overnight, as he usually does, at 8 p.m. on Feb. 12 — but when he returned at 6 a.m. the next day, the lock was broken, and thousands of dollars worth of goods and money was missing.
According to police reports, a total of $7,956 was stolen, including $3,000 in cash, $2,750 worth of cigarettes, $1,000 in phone cards, $700 in electronic cigarettes, $500 in electronic cigarette cartridges and $6 worth of scratch-off lotto cards.
Patel said his cousin has owned the stand, at Dey Street and Broadway, for more than 20 years.
"We’ve been robbed before, but not like this,” Patel said. “This is a tough one.”
"We're getting an alarm," he added.
Police were still investigating the crime as of Thursday.