Cops Foil Brazen Robbery At Shopping Center, 4 Suspects Nabbed: PCPD

PORT CHESTER, NY — The excitement at a Westchester shopping center ended safely, thanks to Port Chester police who were on the case before a crime was ever reported.

On Wednesday afternoon, at about 3 p.m., Port Chester police were tipped off by the Real Time Crime Center that a wanted felony vehicle had entered their jurisdiction.

The car was involved in a string of brazen thefts from ULTA stores in the tri-state area. Officers were in the area of the Kohl's shopping center when the vehicle was spotted in the store's parking lot.

Police Officers Arroyo and Santorelli quickly blocked in the vehicle with the driver inside.

As this was happening, police said, three other men exited ULTA with large laundry type bags. They fled in opposite directions when they saw the cops surrounding their getaway car, according to police.

Arroyo caught one suspect after a foot chase. He was assisted by the Rye Police Department.

As this was happening, Capt. Nielsen was flagged down by passers-by that two of the suspects had run into Buy Buy Baby in the shopping center. With the assistance of Officer Coyt and Rye police, the two remaining suspects were soon found and taken into custody.

Danyielle Downs, 19, Noah Kutt, 20, Lanijah Mccoy, 27 and Jalik Lee, 20 were all arrested and are being charged with felony grand larceny, based on the amount of stolen merchandise in excess of $17,000.

Police said they later learned that the suspects went into Ulta, emptied the shelves of fragrances, placed them in laundry bags and fled the store, just prior to encountering the officers.

Downs and Kutt are homeless, Mccoy gave a Brooklyn address and Lee had a Newark, NJ address, according to officials.

"We wish to thank our neighboring Departments for assisting, as well as Westchester County PD aviation and the Real Time Crime Center," the Port Chester Police Department said in a statement released Wednesday evening. "The PCPD will continue to work diligently to deter this behavior and make our Village safe."