GREENWICH VILLAGE — Police are looking for a man they say has been stealing laptops, wallets and bags left unattended at eateries in Greenwich Village and Gramercy, along with a bag from a New York University building, the NYPD said.
The thief struck first on Feb. 28 about 9 p.m., lifting a 24-year-old woman's wallet from Chipotle at 55 E. Eighth St., near near NYU, police said.
The suspect hit six more locations over the next six weeks, police said, including an NYU building at 5 University Place, where a 20-year-old woman's laptop was taken on April 8 about 6:10 p.m.
He also stole a 28-year-old man's unattended bag with a laptop and tablet inside it at the Think Coffee at 250 Mercer St. on March 18 about 3 p.m., and he took a woman's unattended laptop from the Starbucks at 45 W. Fourth St. about 2:15 p.m. on March 2, police said.
The Artichoke Pizza at 111 MacDougal St. near NYU was also hit, police said. A woman's bag with a laptop and wallet in it was stolen about 6:20 p.m. on April 7.
The two Gramercy locations the thief targeted were the Pit Stop, a coffee shop and bar at 123 E. 24th St., where he took a 26-year-old man's bag about 4 p.m. on April 5, and the Potbelly sandwich shop at 333 Park Ave. S., where a 22-year-old woman's backpack was stolen about 5:40 p.m. on April 14, police said.
Police described the suspect as a 25-to-35-year-old man 5-foot-9 to 6 feet tall. He was wearing a backpack, sunglasses and a dark hoodie on surveillance footage obtained after some of the thefts, police said.
Police ask anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). Tips can also be submitted online at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting TIP577 to 274637 (CRIMES).
