Stroll through McCarren park on any given day and you’ll see sun worshipers, book readers, parents and kids tossing Frisbees, even an occasional Dust Devil. What most of us don’t expect while we’re soaking up the greenery is a professional thief in action, taking off with your bike and your kid’s seat.
Below is video footage of a man donning the latest in normcore fashion, nonchalantly wander up to a bike rack opposite McCarren park, wire-cutter in hand, and in less than ten seconds, cut the bike’s chain and make off with the goods.
“It’s the third bike we’ve had stolen in the same spot,” says victim, Chris Herwig, when speaking with the Gothamist. “We’ve had two U locks cut and now this cord.”
While Mr. Herwig’s first two bikes were stolen during the night, this bold thief did his business smack dab in the middle of the day. It is also worth noting all of the stolen bikes had baby seats.
Now call me Nancy Drew, but either we’ve got an out of shape thief who is expecting triplets, a bike thief with an axe to grind, or there is real money to be made in the black market of bikes with kid seats. So for all of you bike riding parents out there take note: Watch where you parks your wheels and beware of suspicious men in grey polo shirts wielding Leatherman tools—he may not be just another fashion fad, he might be a bike thief too.
If you have any tips, or recognize the man in the video, please contact the NYPD CRIMESTOPPPERS.