A shoplifter at a Queens CVS stabbed a manager in the hand and fled with cough medicine and hair products as crime in New York City continues to soar.
An unknown man entered the CVS in Forest Hills at around 12:24 p.m. on Tuesday and began grabbing cough medicine and hair products off the shelves, attempting to walkaway with the merchandise, New York Police said.
The suspect then stabbed a 44-year-old male manager in the hand, running away in an unknown direction, and the victim was taken to a nearby hospital. He was reported to be in stable condition.
It's the latest in a string of thefts as crime continues to go up in New York City, which has seen a nearly 35 per cent rise in robberies compared to last year.
A shoplifter stabbed a manager at a CVS in Forest Hills, Queens, on Tuesday afternoon
Police said the unknown suspect entered the store at around 12:24 and began taking cough medicine and hair products off the shelfs
The suspect then stabbed the manager, 44, and fled in an unknown direction
Crime continues to go up in NYC, which has seen a nearly 42 per cent rise in total crime
Robberies in the Big Apple have gone up from 1,076 by this time last year to 1,452 cases reported so far this year.
Felony assault also rose from 1,837 cases in 2021 to 2,081 cases by the same time this year, more than a 13 per cent increase.
The number of shooting victims in the same time period also went up by nearly 30 per cent, and rapes have also seen a dramatic spike of more than 35 per cent.
Overall crimes has gone up by nearly 42 per cent.
The city is sufferings from a crime epidemic since January, with incidents involving brazen thieves just walking out of stores with hands full of merchandise.
Robberies in the Big Apple have gone up from 1,076 by this time last year to 1,452 cases reported so far this year, a nearly 35 per cent increase
On January 27, police were filmed arresting Franklin Nunez, 45, who was attempting to walk out of a Marshalls in Rego Park with bags of stolen goods
Nunez had an outstanding warrant for grand larceny and has 15 prior arrests on charges of burglary and drug possession
On January 27, police were filmed arresting Franklin Nunez, 45, who was attempting to walk out of a Marshalls in Rego Park with bags of stolen goods.
Despite there being two police officers on the scene tackling the thief, the pair struggled to contain the man who managed to make his way out out of the door.
According to the Instagram post that filmed the scene, Nunez is said to have been able to get away before being caught shortly afterwards after 10 more cops descended on the scene.
Nunez had an outstanding warrant for grand larceny and has 15 prior arrests on charges of burglary and drug possession.
He was charged with assault on a police officer and possession of burglar tools.
The successful arrest, however, stands in stark contrast to what has gone before in other shoplifting incidents.
Disturbing video at a Louis Vuitton store in the New York suburbs last month shows shoppers trying to prevent a crew of thieves from ransacking the luxury retailer - only for the brazen bandits to escape when mall security guards sat back and watched.
In the video, the suspects are seen fleeing the store at the Westchester Mall in White Plains, as other people nearby attempted to stop them. But as the chaotic scene unfolds, an apparent mall security guard hangs back and watches, but does nothing.
Thieves ransacked a Louis Vuitton store last month as customers tried to stop them (left). A mall security guard (right) was seen just standing by and watching the robbery
Actor and comedian Michael Rapaport was ‘disgusted’ and ‘surprised’ when he saw the thief stocking up on items from three different sections of the pharmacy before walking out
Rapaport, who posted footage on Instagram of a bold thief going for a shoplifting spree in NYC last month, said he was shocked by the brazen crime
That same month, actor and comedian Michael Rapaport filmed the moment a bold thief sauntered out of a Rite Aid on the Upper East side of New York City with two shopping bags full of stolen goods, calling it 'pathetic' that crime continues to spiral in New York because of soft-on-crime policies.
The actor and comedian, who posted footage of the incident on Instagram, told DailyMail.com that he was ‘disgusted’ and ‘surprised’ when he saw the thief stocking up on items from three different sections of the pharmacy before deciding he was satisfied.
'These criminals know there are no ramifications. We have to put more of these mfers in jail,' he said.
The Rite Aid in the video, on 80th Street and 2nd Avenue, is hit with thefts of the same nature on an almost daily basis, a security guard told Rapaport. The store will be closing on February 15, and 63 other locations will close in the coming months with thefts a major reason, the pharmacy chain announced in late December.
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