Photo Courtesy of NYPD
Investigators said this man used the card in a Manhattan store.
By Michael V. Cusenza
Lock your car doors.
Frustrated police officials have been reiterating the mantra at nearly every civic meeting and community gathering in the 106th Precinct in recent memory—to no avail. Thefts of possessions left unattended in unlocked vehicles remain a consistent problem in the South Queens command, specifically in Lindenwood and Howard Beach.
“It’s been an ongoing issue for months now and it’s not stopping,” Neighborhood Coordination Officer Mike Petrizzo said during last month’s Sector A Safety Meeting at St. Helen Church. “Please lock your doors.”
But it seems that cops are hoping that least one incident in April may at long-last drive the point home.
Investigators plastered social media with pictures of a young black man “wanted for making a purchase in Manhattan using a credit card stolen from a vehicle on 164th Avenue and 99th Street” in Old Howard Beach.
According to the latest available department statistics, overall crime is down by nearly 8 percent in the 106th Precinct compared to the same period last year. However, car thefts are up 16 percent compared to 2017.
Anyone with information on the suspect and the stolen credit card should call Det. Patrick Roach at (718) 845-2261. Please reference case #2018-574.
