Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Would-Be Thief Tries to Steal BMW Because it 'Matches My Shirt,' DA Says

By Allegra Hobbs | September 16, 2016 2:10pm | Updated on September 18, 2016 3:38pm
 Police arrested Dempsy Debarros, 29, on Sept. 9 following the violent attempted robbery of a BMW in broad daylight.
Police arrested Dempsy Debarros, 29, on Sept. 9 following the violent attempted robbery of a BMW in broad daylight.
View Full Caption
DNAinfo

LOWER EAST SIDE — A fashion-conscious thief beat up a man in broad daylight in an attempt to steal his BMW — saying he wanted the wheels because it matched his shirt, police and prosecutors said.

The 27-year-old victim was walking toward his white BMW 428i coupe, parked at the corner of East Houston and Pitt streets, at around 1:25 p.m. on Sept. 9 when Dempsy Debarros, 29, approached him, put his hand on the driver’s side door and said, “This is a nice car, it matches my shirt and I want the keys,” according to a criminal complaint.

When the owner tried to climb into the vehicle and drive away, Debarros grabbed him by the neck, choked him, punched him across the face and body, and knocked him to the ground while the victim cried for help to a nearby group of pedestrians, prosecutors said. 

When police arrived at the scene, the victim was lying on the ground beside the car with bruises and a swollen, bleeding lip, according to the complaint.

Debarros, with one foot already in the victim’s car, told the arresting officer, “This is my car,” according to prosecutors. 

Police arrested Debarros, who was arraigned the following day on charges of robbery, as well as possession of stolen property, grand larceny and unauthorized use of a vehicle, according to the criminal complaint.

He is being held at the Manhattan Detention Complex and is due back in court on Oct. 19, according to Department of Correction records. Bail was set at $10,000 cash or bond, according to the district attorney’s office.

Debarros’s lawyer declined to comment.