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On September 11, surveillance cameras in a New York City Barnes and Noble recorded an assault that left a 77-year-old woman injured. While the video has since been taken down, surveillance photos are still making rounds online.
In the footage, which was recorded at 12:20 pm near Union Square, an alleged shoplifter can reportedly be seen stealing two action figures from a local Barnes and Noble. A security guard proceeded to see the suspect, prompting him to attempt running out of the store. Around this time, the 77-year-old victim entered the store, before being pushed onto the ground by the suspect and knocked unconscious.
The NYPD reported that the suspect was described by witnesses as a 5'3 man in his 20s. He was last seen in a blue sweat shirt, grey sweatpants and grey sneakers.
Details of the New York Barnes and Noble assault
In an official statement to the Press, the NYPD stated that after fleeing the scene, the suspect was seen running South of Union square before making his way towards Irving Place, along East 15th street.
ABC reported that the suspect allegedly stole $35 dollars worth of merchandise from the store. He has not yet been identified by the NYPD. The case remains under investigation.
The New York Post reported that the 77-year-old victim was taken to Bellevue hospital with a head injury, but was reported to be in stable condition.
Rising crime in New York
As per the New York Post, the Barnes and Noble incident is part of a greater trend, as New York City has seen shoplifting rates rise by 81% in 2022.
In an official press release Michael LiPetri, the Chief of Crime Control Strategies of New York, told reporters that the city has seen over 5000 complaints registered in relation to larceny. He also stated that assaults, like the one that occured on Sunday, are a natural consequence of the rise in thefts. He said:
“We’ve seen an increase of 81% of shoplifting complaints that includes petty larceny, grand larcenies and robberies where individuals go in and continue to steal merchandise, and then are confronted by a worker and then they get assaulted.”
According to CBS, the unprecedented increase in petty larceny cases have reached levels that have not been seen in the city for 30 years, when it had a reputation as a crime capital in the USA.
LiPetri said that the pattern may be due to the economic hardships pandemic put people through. He said:
"A lot of people were out of work and a lot of people were trying to make ends meet, obviously the wrong way. We do see some of it re-selling on the street."
In order to deal with the spate of thefts, the NYPD has resolved to increase surveillance and police presence across the city.
