A man is on the run after police say he targeted three separate NYCHA housing complexes across the Bronx over roughly a week and a half in September, snatching cash from a woman with a stroller, a teenage boy, and finally a 20-year-old man carrying an envelope stuffed with $21,000. No one was hurt badly enough to be seriously injured in any of the three incidents, but investigators say the spree left residents at Morris Houses, Monroe Houses, and Forest Houses on edge.
The spree began around 9 p.m. on September 12 at Morris Houses in Claremont Village, according to News12 New York. Investigators say the suspect snatched $878 from a 49-year-old woman's dog stroller and shoved her to the ground during the attack. Morris Houses, completed in 1965, consists of 17 high-rise buildings and houses more than 4,300 residents across a 17.76-acre site adjacent to the Metro-North tracks, according to Wikipedia.
Teen Robbed, Then a $21,000 Cash Grab
Four days later, on September 16, the same suspect allegedly targeted a 17-year-old boy at Monroe Houses in Soundview, according to police. The report notes he robbed the teen of $40, then grabbed him and demanded additional property. The robbery and the community center's ribbon cutting both took place on September 16, 2026; the center reopened following a $4.5 million multi-agency renovation, per BXTimes, at the 1,102-unit complex spanning 18.49 acres.
The most lucrative theft came on September 21, around 5:15 p.m., at Forest Houses in Morrisania, per detectives. The suspect snatched an envelope containing roughly $21,000 in cash from a 20-year-old man before running toward Prospect Avenue, according to NYPD. Why the victim was carrying that much cash remains an open question. Forest Houses, which opened in 1956 and is owned and operated by NYCHA, comprises 15 buildings with 1,350 apartment units spread across 17.72 acres, according to Wikipedia.
Three Bronx Public Housing Developments
Morris, Monroe, and Forest Houses are located in Claremont Village, Soundview, and Morrisania, respectively.
The developments also sit amid ongoing capital investment. In July, municipal officials finalized $214 million in financing for Sol on Park, a 229-unit affordable senior housing project built on the Morris Houses campus, according to NYC.gov. NYCHA remains the largest public housing authority in North America, managing 177,565 apartments across 335 developments citywide, per the agency.
Robbery Spree Bucks a Citywide Downward Trend
The Morrisania-to-Soundview spree unfolded even as major crime has been falling across the Bronx and the city as a whole. NYPD statistics released in September showed the Bronx leading all five boroughs in year-to-date major crime reductions, with an 11.9% overall drop compared to the same period in 2025, according to News12 | Connecticut. Citywide, robbery complaints were down 12% year-to-date through September 20, falling from 10,995 incidents in 2025 to 9,679 in 2026, per NYPD CompStat figures.
The suspect is accused of forcibly stealing property in all three incidents; none resulted in injuries, according to investigators.
Police are asking anyone with information to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).
