A late-night walk on East 14th Street turned violent early Friday when a 42-year-old man was attacked and robbed just steps from a busy subway entrance, according to police.
At about 1:16 a.m., the victim was walking in front of 208 East 14th Street, in Manhattan’s 9th Precinct, when an unidentified person slipped in alongside him and yanked a chain off his neck, authorities said. The attacker then threw the man onto the pavement, leaving him with a facial laceration, before taking off.
Police say the suspect darted into the 3rd Avenue station and escaped on a southbound L train, vanishing underground in classic New York fashion.
Police Details and Released Footage
According to NYPD Crime Stoppers, investigators have released surveillance stills along with a wanted notice that lays out how the robbery unfolded and the route the suspect allegedly took after the attack. The post notes that the incident occurred within the 9th Precinct and that the victim is 42 years old.
Detectives are asking New Yorkers to take a close look at the images and contact police if they recognize the person shown in the footage.
Past Incidents on and Around 14th Street
Jewelry thefts are not new to this stretch of town. In 2020, police circulated video after a man allegedly ripped a necklace off an 86-year-old inside a Stuyvesant Town lobby, then bolted toward the East 14th Street subway station, as reported by ABC7. Those past cases highlight how fast suspects can disappear into the flow of foot traffic between apartment buildings, storefronts and nearby subway entrances.
How to Help Investigators
The city’s Crime Stoppers program offers rewards of up to $3,500 for anonymous tips that lead to an arrest, according to the NYPD Crime Stoppers page. Officials are urging anyone who was in the area, or who has relevant video from doorbell cameras, phones or building surveillance systems, to save the footage and reach out to investigators.
Information can be shared by calling 1-800-577-TIPS or by messaging @NYPDTips. Police say all tips are kept confidential as they work to track down the suspect in this latest East Village chain snatch.
