CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn (PIX11) — A suspect smoking a cigarette was caught on video riding in a 70-year-old woman’s stolen wheelchair in Brooklyn last month, police said.
The suspect allegedly swiped the $1,500 electric wheelchair while its 70-year-old owner shopped in a deli on 234 Troy Ave. in Crown Heights at around 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 1, according to the NYPD.
Police released a video of the woman wheeling down a sidewalk with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth. Authorities are still searching for the suspect.
The NYPD surprised the victim with a new motorized wheelchair, according to NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry.
Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org , downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.