A 55-year-old woman had two necklaces ripped from her neck while she waited on the southbound "A" train platform at the 42 Street subway station on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, just after 6:25 p.m. Police say the assailant ran straight toward her, yanked the jewelry and disappeared into the station before officers could get there. For weeks, the case sat without a publicly named suspect, until investigators released new images this week and renewed their call for help.
On April 8, NYPD Crime Stoppers circulated a "WANTED FOR A GRAND LARCENY" bulletin that included surveillance stills tied to the March 10 necklace snatch and asked the public to help identify the person in the images. The alert notes that the victim is 55 years old and that the unidentified suspect fled the 42nd Street platform. Investigators are urging anyone with information to contact police, according to a post by NYPD Crime Stoppers.
Pattern of jewelry snatches across the city
The 42nd Street grab is not an isolated case. It fits into a broader pattern of quick-hit jewelry thefts that have cropped up around New York in recent months. As reported by QNS, the NYPD has linked several moped-based and street-level chain-snatching incidents stretching through Queens, Brooklyn and into Midtown Manhattan.
Transit safety under scrutiny
Transit safety has been under a brighter spotlight this season as riders keep a closer eye on crime underground and the NYPD leans into targeted enforcement in busy hubs. In one Bronx case, a brazen platform robbery drew attention to the trend, and police data shows that the department recorded 192 transit incidents in February. In response, officials have stepped up patrols and pushed out more wanted alerts.
How to help investigators
Anyone who saw the March 10 theft on the 42 Street platform, or who has relevant phone or building-camera footage, is asked to contact NYPD Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, per CBS New York. Police also accept direct messages on X at @NYPDTips and may offer rewards for information that leads to an arrest and indictment.
Investigators say the wanted alert and photos will remain on the NYPD Crime Stoppers feed while the search continues. They are urging anyone with potential evidence to preserve footage and share it with detectives, and to avoid confronting any suspected individuals themselves, according to NYPD Crime Stoppers.
