A 51-year-old woman was walking near 506 West 168th Street in Washington Heights last month when a rider on a moped pulled up beside her, grabbed the chain from her neck, and sped off westbound. The snatching happened at roughly 3:21 p.m. on September 17, in Washington Heights.
According to NYPD Crime Stoppers
, the unidentified rider approached the victim on a black moped, tore the chain free, and fled westbound on West 168th Street. No injuries were reported in the incident.
How the Law Treats a Grab Without a Struggle
New York Penal Law § 155.30(5) classifies theft from a person's body as Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a Class E felony carrying up to four years in state prison regardless of the item's value, per FindLaw. Had the rider used physical force or violence to overcome the victim's resistance, the charge would escalate to Robbery in the Third Degree under New York Penal Law § 160.05, a Class D felony punishable by up to seven years, per the NYS Senate. The NYPD identified the case as grand larceny.
Police have sought public help in connection with a multi-incident pattern of moped jewelry thefts. In a separate October 8 case, a victim was stabbed in the leg during a struggle in the Bronx.
A Precinct With a History of Street Robbery Patterns
This is not the first time detectives in the 33rd Precinct have chased a street-robbery pattern in Washington Heights. In February, investigators were looking into a linked robbery crew that targeted pedestrians on West 158th Street for cash and jewelry, a case Hoodline covered as two sought in a street spree. Hoodline also reported a separate incident in which an attacker punched seniors and stole a tripod outside a children's hospital; the NYPD publicized the robbery on October 12.
Despite these episodes, the precinct's overall numbers have held steady. In a June 4 report, the 33rd Precinct reported 385 total major crimes year-to-date, compared with 387 over the same period in 2025, according to Citizen Portal.
Mopeds Remain a Persistent Enforcement Headache
At a September City Council committee hearing, lawmakers pressed for stricter point-of-sale rules on moped retailers, arguing that unregistered vehicles keep flooding city streets faster than police can pull them off, according to Councilmember Oswald Feliz.
No arrests have been announced in the September 17 case. NYPD Crime Stoppers is asking anyone with information to send a direct message to @NYPDTips or call 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The program offers rewards of up to $3,500 through a partnership with the New York City Police Foundation, according to the New York City Police Foundation.
