A 31-year-old man was walking in front of 1967 Jerome Avenue at around 5:15 a.m. on Sunday, August 16, when two unidentified men on a moped pulled up beside him. One of the men reached for the victim’s necklace, and the man, fearing for his safety, removed it and handed it over before the pair sped off northbound on Jerome Avenue.
According to NYPD Crime Stoppers, the incident occurred within the confines of the 46th Precinct, and investigators are now asking the public for help identifying the two men. The rear passenger on the moped is said to have taken possession of the necklace after the front rider attempted to remove it from the victim’s neck. NYPD Crime Stoppers is offering up to $3,500 for information leading to an arrest and indictment in the case.
🚨WANTED FOR A GRAND LARCENY: On Sunday, August 16, 2026, at approximately 5:15 A.M., in front of 1967 Jerome Avenue, in the confines of the 46 Precinct in the Bronx, a 31-year-old male victim was approached by two unidentified males on a moped. One of the individuals attempted… pic.twitter.com/bTVA10IVFU
— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) August 26, 2026
Legally, the incident is being pursued as grand larceny rather than robbery. Under New York Penal Law § 155.30(5), taking property directly from a person’s body is classified as Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a Class E felony, regardless of the item’s value or whether force was used, according to FindLaw. Because no weapon was displayed and no physical violence was reported during the approach, the case falls under that larceny statute even though the victim says he handed over the chain out of fear.
A Precinct Already Stretched Thin
The theft happened within the jurisdiction of the NYPD’s 46th Precinct, headquartered at 2120 Ryer Avenue, which patrols the central-western Bronx neighborhoods of Fordham, University Heights, Morris Heights, and Mount Hope, per the NYPD. The stretch of Jerome Avenue near West Tremont Avenue sits directly beneath the elevated MTA 4 train structure, an industrial-commercial corridor of auto shops and ground-floor retail where the overhead subway creates loud ambient noise that can make fast-moving two-wheelers harder to hear, according to a New York State environmental review document…