Wanted: Chain Snatcher Accused Of Robbing 70-Year-Old Woman On Avenue U

Cops say the man pictured above preyed on a 70-year-old woman, snatching a chain from her neck in broad daylight.

The alleged thief spotted the woman on Avenue U and Coyle Street last Wednesday, at approximately 11:00 a.m. He walked up to her, grabbed the chain and ran off, cops say.

Fortunately, the woman was not injured.

The crime is being classified as a grand larceny, which has been on the rise in the 61st Precinct this year. From January 1 to July 20, the command has seen an 18.8 increase in grand larceny incidents in 2014 over the same time period last year, according to Compstat. The only larger increase has been for another property crime, grand larceny auto. The two together are fueling the precinct’s 2.53 percent uptick in overall crime in the area.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577.