Thieves have been posing as tourists to steal from the elderly.
This is the latest crime that the NYPD has to deal with in the boroughs. So far, in June 2022, they had two very similar reports of robbery cases in Queens and Staten Island.
The modus operandi is the same.
The thieves, in a white SUV, would drive up to the elderly person on the sidewalk. They’d start talking to them so the elderly victim will come closer. They’ll ask to see their gold necklace, unclasp it, and replace it with a cheap knock-off.
They’ll drive off before the victims will realize they’ve been deceived.
The thieves drove the same white Jeep Grand Cherokee and they’d chat with the victims, introducing themselves as tourists from Dubai. They asked the 87-year-old victim from Queens about his gold necklace and to take a closer look.
Because the victim is unsuspecting, he’d oblige the thieves and lean in closer.
“Targeting the elderly is SO low..this makes me so angry,” Cats pyjamas said, after watching the security footage on the video.
That’s when they’ll go for the deceit.
The robbery case in Staten Island was different though.
A white Jeep Cherokee pulled up beside an 81-year-old woman and lured her into a conversation. And when she leaned in closer, they took the jewelry from her and drove off.
“When will the elderly be safe from predators? It is doubly despicable when they target the elderly,” Bess Smith added.
Since both victims’ pieces of jewelry were valued at over $1,000, these thefts are considered grand larceny.
According to The Law Advisory, larceny means “to deprive someone of their property or from possession of their stuff permanently.” In the US, each state has its own definition of simple and grand larceny.
In New York state, they consider this case a fourth-degree grand larceny case, which is “when the worth of stolen property exceeds $1,000 but is less than $3,000.” And if convicted, the maximum sentence for a fourth-degree grand larceny case is 4 years behind bars.
There are some cases when the suspect can be acquitted of grand larceny and possible defense include the following, presence of conflict with the owner, intoxication and under the influence of drugs, an intent to return the stolen property to the rightful owner, or entrapment.
“My grandma would probably fall for this, she get excited when ppl notice and compliment her jewelry. To think it was genuine and discover you were tricked sucks,” Leah Ree added.
But, based on the victims’ testimonials and the security footage, the thieves don’t fall under these categories. They are guilty.
“This is such a disgusting crime. Preying on the most vulnerable members of society. They should be prosecuted to the highest extent of the law,” Henry Livingstone chimed in.
Hopefully, this feature will prevent more crimes against elderly victims happen because they’re now more vigilant.
Watch the video below on how the thieves deceived the elderly.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
