If two recent burglaries are any indication, being a thief in New York is kind of easy. On
September 24th two Macbooks Pros, a MacBook Air, and an iPhone 5S were allegedly stolen from the Kickstarter headquarters on Kent Street. How did they gain access? By holding the door open after a food delivery. That’s it.
The incident was caught on tape, and on September 30th, 16-year-old Raymond Mersier was charged with burglary. As reported on DNA.info, authorities also suspect Mersier was involved in a similar robbery earlier in September at The Continental on S. Fourth Street. In that incident, two MacBook Pros, an iPad, a backpack, and clothing were swiped from apartments. Add that all up and you get at least three more Macbook Pros than any one person needs.
Mersier didn’t act alone in any of the robberies, but he’s the only one who’s been caught and charged so far. In both robberies he and other suspects were seen catching the doors of the building before they closed, entering, and one or more of the suspects leaving shortly afterwards with “rectangular objects under their shirts.”
Mersier has been hit with multiple charges, including third degree burglary, criminal trespass, and criminal possession of stolen property.
The surveillance footage doesn’t make clear if the doors were held for the suspects, or if they were just super fast upon entering. Either way, holding the doors for someone, even for a stranger, is a common courtesy we’re very accustom to doing. While no one wants a door slammed in their face, there is a reason why buildings have buzzers in the first place. So just keep your wits about you the next time you hold a door open for someone you don’t know. There are always Apple products just waiting to be stolen.