Thief Stole Woman's Bag Containing $7K Cash in Hicksville: Police

A Queens man was arrested Thursday after surveillance footage revealed he intentionally damaged a 46-year-old woman’s car, pretended to offer her assistance then stole her pocketbook that contained $7,000 in cash in Hicksville in December, police said.

On Dec. 3, the woman drove away from The Bank of America parking lot, located at 20 Jerusalem Ave., after withdrawing $7,000 in cash and realized a short time later the rear tire of her 2000 Mercedes Benz was flat at 12 p.m., police said.

As the woman searched her trunk for tools near 124 Duffy Ave., an unknown man, later identified as 35-year-old Alexander Sanchez, approached her and asked if she needed assistance.

The woman denied his request and after the man left, she noticed her pocketbook had been taken from the front seat of her car. The pocketbook reportedly contained the $7,000 in cash, three ATM cards, a credit card and her New York Driver’s license.

The woman notified police and an investigation determined, after viewing surveillance footage, that the man who took her pocketbook also caused damage to her rear wheel while it was parked in the lot of Bank of America, police said.

Authorities identified Sanchez, a Jackson Heights resident, as the person responsible for this crime through an inter-agency investigation with the NYPD Organized Theft Unit, police said.

He was arrested Thursday at 10:13 p.m. while at Queens Central Booking after post arraignment on unrelated Queens County charges.

He was charged with third degree grand larceny and third degree criminal mischief. Sanchez was arraigned Friday at First District Court in Hempstead.

Image via NCPD