MIDTOWN — They got nailed again.
A thief stole nearly $1,000 worth of Essie nail polish from a Duane Reade that already lost more than $3,000 worth of the product to a repeat shoplifter, the NYPD said.
The suspect came into the store, at 22 W. 48th St. between Fifth and Sixth avenues, around 2:20 p.m. on July 6 and stashed $998 worth of Essie nail polish in his backpack before fleeing, an employee told police.
Police did not say how many bottles of nail polish the suspect made off with.
In two separate incidents in January and April, the same Duane Reade lost a total of 378 bottles of Essie nail polish valued at $3,213 to a thief police identified as Juan Baez, 48, the NYPD said.
Baez — who also stole $2,958 worth of nail polish from another Duane Reade at 1370 Sixth Ave. in April — had still not been arrested as of July 5, police said.
Less than two weeks ago, a shoplifter fled a Duane Reade at 900 Eighth Ave., between West 53rd and West 54th streets, after stealing $733 worth of Essie nail polish and cosmetics, the NYPD said.
A manager working at the Duane Reade on West 48th Street on Tuesday declined to comment on the theft.
