Park Slope Pick-Pocket Uses Hug To Steal From 78-Year-Old: Cops

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — A man who stole a woman's wallet on Fifth Avenue in Brooklyn this month faked a hug to pick her pocket, police said.

The 78-year-old woman was walking near Fifth Avenue and Ninth Street around 1:30 p.m. on Nov. 1 when the man came up to her and gave her a hug. He told the woman that he knew her, but ended up running away on Fifth Avenue when she asked him how, police said.

The woman discovered later when she went to the ATM that her wallet was missing.

Police said the man was wearing black a varsity jacket, a blue baseball cap, a FILA blue hoodie, gray jeans and black sneakers.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls are strictly confidential.