HELL’S KITCHEN — A Bronx woman used her Chase Mobile app to track down two women who stole her purse from a Hell’s Kitchen burger joint and used her credit card to buy drinks at another restaurant, police said.
The 26-year-old woman told police she was eating at Mother Burger, at 329 West 49th Street, around 10:45 p.m. on Dec. 30 when she realized her purse and wallet had been stolen from the back of her chair, according to a complaint filed with the Manhattan District Attorney's office.
Taking matters into her own hands, the woman opened her Chase app, saw that her credit card had recently been used at El Porton Mexican Restaurant at 3151 Broadway, near the 125th Street 1-train station, and trekked up to El Porton from Mother Burger, according to police.
When she arrived at El Porton, the woman called 911 and was able to help responding officer identify two women drinking at the bar as the women who stole her purse, police said.
The women, Sarfowaa Boachie, 21 and Vanessa Guillierno, 23, admitted to using the woman’s card to buy $57.65 worth of drinks, but claimed they found the woman’s card in a yellow cab, according to the complaint.
Police found the woman’s stolen purse, her $300 wallet, $70 headphones and $117 MTA card inside Boachie's purse, they said.
The women, who were unable to provide their own money to pay for the drinks, were arrested and charged with grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and theft of services, the DA said.
Both have been released without bail and are expected to appear in New York Criminal Court on Feb. 3, according to the DA.
"We are glad that our quick-thinking customer used the Chase Mobile app to catch the thieves and, more importantly, that she is safe and got her belongings back," a spokesman for Chase said. "As a reminder, customers are not liable for any unauthorized transactions and they can easily keep track of their accounts by setting alerts through the Chase Mobile app or at Chase.com."
Attorneys for Boachie and for Guillierno did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.
