Posted on May 22, 2018

14-Year-Old Convinces Blind Man He Is a Cop Before Stealing His Wallet in Manhattan Subway Station

Associated Press, May 20, 2018

A wily 14-year-old boy who posed as a New York City police officer while snatching a legally blind man’s wallet in a Manhattan subway station on pretense of helping him was arrested on Sunday.

His mother turned the baby-faced youth in to police nearly a week after authorities said he fled the subway station at 34th Street and Eighth Avenue, near Macy’s, leaving his victim behind.

On May 14, police said he approached the 64-year-old man, identifying himself as an officer and offering to lead him through the station and past a turnstile to his train.

Surveillance video shows the man standing quietly as the teenager unzips his backpack and takes the wallet.

The boy then bolts out with the wallet, which police said contained $85 cash and several credit cards.

One card was charged $500 at a nearby store, police determined during an investigation that is ongoing.

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The boy faces charges of grand larceny and criminal impersonation of a police officer.

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[Editor’s Note: The video accompanying the story shows the blind man to be white.]