A teenage retail worker was assaulted by a shoplifting suspect who refused to pay for merchandise at a Staten Island shopping center, according to police. The incident happened inside 165 Bricktown Way at around 6:10 p.m. last Sunday, and the NYPD is now asking the public for help identifying the suspect.
According to NYPD Crimestoppers, the unidentified individual removed merchandise without authority or permission and walked past all points of sale without paying. When a 19-year-old female employee confronted the person, the suspect struck her in the face with a firearm and sexually assaulted her. The address places the encounter inside Bricktown Centre at Charleston, a 550,000-square-foot retail complex along Veterans Road West near the West Shore Expressway that is home to major chains including HomeGoods, Five Below, Petco, and Regal Cinemas, according to Five Below's store listing.
How a Shoplifting Call Became a Felony Case
What began as a theft escalated into a more serious charge the moment force entered the picture. Under New York Penal Law Section 160.00, petit larceny is legally elevated to robbery whenever a perpetrator uses or threatens immediate physical force — including verbal threats or chemical sprays — to retain stolen merchandise or overcome resistance from an employee, per the New York State Unified Court System's criteria for distinguishing theft from robbery. Separately, state law under Penal Law Section 265.20 and 10 NYCRR § 54.3 allows eligible adults to legally carry pocket-sized self-defense sprays, but using any chemical spray device to commit an offense or assault another person is itself a crime under state law, per the New York State Senate's statutory framework.
The retail center sits within the patrol jurisdiction of the NYPD's 123rd Precinct, headquartered in Tottenville, which covers South Shore communities including Charleston, Rossville, Annadale, and Eltingville. Some retail guidance emphasizes personal safety and instructs workers not to stop or chase suspects.
A Separate Chemical-Spray Incident on Staten Island
This is not the first time a pepper-spray robbery has rattled Staten Island this year. In March, NYPD sought tips in a separate case near Jersey Street where a robber pepper-sprayed a 24-year-old victim before stealing money and fleeing on foot.
South Shore communities have also focused on safety efforts.
Reward Offered for Information
Anyone with information on the suspect's identity is urged to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or the Spanish-language line at 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or sent directly via DM on X to @NYPDTips. The Crime Stoppers program, supported by the New York City Police Foundation, offers cash rewards of up to $3,500 for anonymous information leading to an arrest and felony indictment.
No arrests had been announced as of Sunday's Crime Stoppers alert, and the suspect remains at large.
