Man Released Under Bail Law Tried To Rob Store, Stole Uber: NCPD

A man who was released under the state's new bail reform law was arrested on Thursday after police say he stole an Uber driver's car after trying to rob a Target.

According to police, Genri Palacios Acosta, 35, of Hull Street, East Meadow, hired an Uber to take him to Target in Westbury. The driver waited outside the store while Acosta went inside. POlice say that Acosta took several items from the shelves, put them in a shopping cart and then fled the store without paying.

Acosta was chased into the parking lot by store security, police say, and then abandoned the shopping cart and the items. He ran back to the Uber and the driver, who had seen what happened, refused to drive him away and got out of the car, police said. Acosta then got into the driver's seat and the driver quickly got into the passenger seat, police said. The two struggled for the keys and Acosta began driving away, police said, threatening to pull a gun on the driver. The car slowed, police said, and the driver jumped out, and then Acosta fled in his car.

Police investigated and determined it was Acosta involved in the incident, they said. He had been arrested on Feb. 2 after police say he led officers on a chase after being found smocking crack in his car. As a result, he was fitted with an ankle monitoring device by Nassau County Probation. Officers used that monitor and found Acosta outside his home in East Meadow, sitting in a taxi he had hired to take him there, police said.

Acosta was arrested outside of his home without incident. Police say that officers recovered marijuana and a glass pipe containing crack cocaine form Acosta during his arrest. The Uber driver's car was found in Hempstead.

Acosta is charged with second-degree robbery, petty larceny and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be arraigned today in First District Court in Hempstead.