The NYPD is asking Lower Manhattan shoppers to keep their eyes peeled after a series of quick-hit thefts in the 5th Precinct, where a suspect is accused of slipping into busy storefronts and quietly lifting customers’ belongings.
On Wednesday, the department’s Crime Stoppers unit released surveillance images of a person wanted in connection with the pattern. Investigators say that on Feb. 9 the same individual walked into commercial businesses and made off with items including Apple AirPods taken from a purse and a wallet stuffed with credit cards and identification.
Crime Stoppers notes that anonymous tips in the case could qualify for a cash reward, and is steering anyone who recognizes the person in the video toward its phone and online reporting options rather than any kind of face-to-face confrontation.
WANTED FOR A BURGLARY PATTERN: The New York City Police Department is asking for the public's assistance in identifying the individual depicted in the attached media who is wanted in connection with a local burglary pattern that occurred within the confines of the 5 Precinct. https://x.com/i/status/2036595007734354035
— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) March 25, 2026
What police say
According to NYPD Crime Stoppers, surveillance footage shows an unidentified individual entering commercial establishments on Feb. 9 and removing property from unsuspecting victims.
Two locations are highlighted in the alert. At 99 Elizabeth Street, the suspect allegedly swiped a pair of AirPods from inside a purse. At 185 Canal Street, a wallet was taken, police say, with debit and credit cards and personal identification inside.
The Crime Stoppers post adds that information leading to an arrest and indictment in the case could earn a reward of up to $3,500.
How to submit tips
Anyone who thinks they might recognize the person in the video or has information about the Feb. 9 incidents can contact Crime Stoppers without giving their name. The program directs New Yorkers to file tips online at CrimeStoppers.nypdonline.org.
Tipsters can also call the hotlines: 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish speakers. The site explains how reward eligibility works and how anonymity is protected for people who come forward.
Where this happened
Both addresses fall within the NYPD’s 5th Precinct, which covers parts of SoHo and Chinatown and lists its stationhouse on Elizabeth Street, according to the NYPD 5th Precinct page.
Canal and Elizabeth Streets are busy retail corridors where crowded sidewalks and packed shops can make it easier for a thief to blend in. In cases like this, investigators often lean heavily on surveillance footage to put a name to a face, and 5th Precinct detectives are handling the follow-up work on the ground.
Police stress that anyone who spots the person from the photos or video should submit a tip rather than try to stop the individual themselves. For more details or to share information, see the NYPD Crime Stoppers alert and the online tip form at CrimeStoppers.nypdonline.org.
