'It was shocking': Serial burglar has NYC cops on the hunt
GRAVESEND, Brooklyn (PIX11) -- He's brazenly broken into and stolen from stores in New York City every four or five days, on average, for the last three weeks. Now, police are getting the word out about a serial burglar and are trying to get him under arrest as soon as possible.
One of the many victims of the man's crimes said that while she's confident that police will get their man, she said that it can't come soon enough.
"[I'm] devastated," said Lillian Sabbagh, the owner of Baho fashion boutique on East 5th Street, near Avenue U in Brooklyn. "Knowing our area here is so safe," she continued, "I wouldn't expect this to happen here."
Her shop opened just four months ago as an extension of her long-standing flagship store in the Five Towns on Long Island. The burglary at the new store left its owner angry and left a variety of expenses in its wake.
"Look at all the glass all over the floor," Sabbagh said, while reviewing cellphone video of the aftermath of the crime, which happened at around 5:20 a.m. on New Year's Eve. It was one of five different burglaries that police say were carried out by the same man over the last three weeks in south Brooklyn.
"It was shocking," said the owner of the shop where the burglar was captured on surveillance video. He appeared clearly on camera walking a bright blue bicycle past the front of the shop. He is then seen walking around the corner from the boutique. When he returns about a minute later, he's holding what appears to be a heavy metal fire hydrant cap, which he uses to shatter the shop's front door glass.
He apparently did the same thing at a pharmacy on Avenue X between West Street and East 1st Street last week. Detectives say that the same man made a similar break-in and burglary at a liquor store on Avenue U between East 7th and East 8th streets three weeks ago.
In between, investigators suspect, he burglarized a beauty and nail salon on East 8th Street, near Avenue U, and also broke into a business on Brighton Beach Avenue near Brighton 5th Street.
Most of the break-in locations were within a few blocks of one another, in south Brooklyn.
In nearly all of the cases, including at Baho Boutique, the man stole items and money, according to the NYPD. It encourages people to come forward to help investigations. This serial burglary case is no exception, but this time, the call to action also comes from someone directly affected by the burglar's misdeeds.
"If anybody has any information," said Lillian Sabbagh, the boutique owner, "notify the police, so he can be caught."
Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).