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Ex-Con Arrested for Taking $5K in Goods from Bloomingdale's in 3 Days: NYPD

By Shaye Weaver | April 17, 2017 3:06pm
 Bloomingdale's at 1000 Third Ave., at East 59th Street.
Bloomingdale's at 1000 Third Ave., at East 59th Street.
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DNAinfo/Shaye Weaver

UPPER EAST SIDE — A convicted robber fresh out of prison was arrested for trying to steal nearly $5,000 in sunglasses, watches and high-end purses from Bloomingdale's during a three-day shoplifting spree, the NYPD said

Basel Hasan, 42 of Bay Ridge, first struck the store at 1000 Third Ave. on April 9, when he swiped a pair of sunglasses worth $667 around 5:10 p.m., according to the Manhattan District Attorney's office. 

He returned to the store the next day at 1 p.m. and snatched several watches worth a total of $1,598 from a shelf and put them into a black bag, according to the criminal complaint. 

The following day, around 11 a.m., Hasan came back again and stole five purses worth a a total of $2,675, authorities said. Security workers tried to stop him when they saw the suspect outside the store on 59th Street, between Lexington and Third avenues, but he dropped his bag and fled, police said.

A security worker and and off-duty police officer chased him to East 61st Street and Second Avenue, where they arrested him, authorities said.

Hasan was charged with grand larceny and obstructing governmental administration at his arraignment. The judge set his bail at $50,000 cash or bond.

He was due back in court on Monday, the DA's office said. 

Hasan served time in prison from Feb. 5, 2015, to March 28 of this year for robbery and was out on parole at the time, according to the state Department of Corrections.

The thefts were just three of at least 30 shoplifting incidents that have been prevented at Bloomingdale's since June of last year — saving the store roughly $61,000 in lost merchandise, NYPD statistics show. 

Some of the most recent cases were around the beginning of the year, when a man was caught trying to steal a Moncler hat and coat and a Canada Goose jacket worth $2,250, authorities said.

Other notable crimes in the 19th Precinct include:

► A 22-year-old Bronx man was arrested for stealing an Upper East Sider's 2015 Porsche Boxster convertible from a parking garage at 167 E. 84th St., in the Evans Tower building, sometime between Feb. 7 and March 2, the NYPD said. The theft was reported to police on April 11, and detectives were able to track the suspect to the Verrazano Bridge using plate readers. The man was arrested on April 12 and charged with grand larceny auto and criminal possession of stolen property, police said.

► Police are looking for a man who they said robbed a Chase bank at 126 E. 86th St. near Lexington Avenue on April 10 around 3:45 p.m. The man walked to the teller's window and handed them a note saying, "I have a bomb. This is a stick-up." The suspect, who police described as in his 40s and standing 6 feet, got away with $5,009.

► A 24-year-old man fell asleep on the F train between the Grand Avenue-Newtown and 63rd Street/Lexington Avenue stations on April 9, between 9 and 9:35 p.m., and woke up to find that his bag had been stolen from beside him, police said. The bag included an Apple MacBook worth $1,870, a digital AV multi-port adaptor worth $49, and two Apple lightning USBs worth $19.

► A woman's red Felt bicycle worth $1,500 and its $129 lock were stolen after she locked it up in front of the New York Sports Club at 1637 Third Ave. on April 10, between 12:45 p.m. and 1:45 p.m., police said.

► A man who lives on East 63rd Street said his AT&T account was billed for three cellphones worth a total of $2,999.98 between March 29 and April 12, police said. 

► Someone swiped a suitcase and its contents worth $5,200, which were left outside a parking garage at Astor Terrace at 245 E. 93rd St., between 5:10 and 5:30 p.m. on April 13, police said. A 56-year-old woman left the suitcase outside while getting her car. The suitcase contained a watch worth $2,000, a Swatch watch worth $200, a piece of jewelry worth $3,000, medication, sunglasses, a wallet, contact lenses, a blush brush and another Swatch watch with an unknown value, police said. The total value of the items was $5,200.