Bike thief caught!
Police have finally put a chain on a man wanted in at least five bike thefts last month.
Cops say that they found their suspect loitering in the lobby of a building on Henry Street near Carroll Street at around 1:30 pm on Jan. 30. Closer inspection revealed that he was carrying burglars tools.
Eventually, cops were able to link him to the theft of five bikes between Jan. 12 and 29.
One of those thefts might have been on Nelson Street between Clinton and Court streets on Jan. 27.
Cops say a thief busted into the house sometime between 11 am and early the next morning and removed two bikes.
Purse snatch
Three thieves grabbed the handbag of a woman on Union Street on Jan. 30 — but they didn’t get far.
Cops say that the thieving trio approached the victim near the corner of Hoyt Street at around 11:50 am and asked for the time.
When the woman was distracted, one of the thugs grabbed her purse, and all three fled.
A witness gave chase, but the perps eluded him. But they remained on the lam for only a short time, as a cop nabbed them on Baltic Street. The men were still in possession of the purse, wallet and $57.
Urban affair
Thieves stole more than $1,300 in jeans from the Urban Outfitters shop on Atlantic Avenue on Jan. 27.
Police say that the bandits entered the store, which is between Clinton and Court streets, at around 7:30 pm and started filling up plastic shopping bags with Levi’s jeans.
They got 25 pairs before high-tailing it out of there.
Red handed
Cops arrested a scam artist who tricked soft-hearted locals into donating to an AIDS charity on Jan. 26.
Police said that the 50-year-old grifter was knocking on doors along Union Street, asking residents to give to the charity, God’s Love We Deliver.
But the man did not actually work for the charity, said cops, who collared the suspect at around 4 pm near Hoyt Street. He had $75 and four checks on him, police said.
