NEW YORK – A man’s backpack containing $150,000 worth of jewelry was stolen from a Manhattan subway station as he was walking through turnstiles, police said.
The costly robbery occurred shortly after 2:00 p.m. on Nov. 28 at the Canal Street and Broadway station in SoHo, according to police. The 52-year-old man went to pull a MetroCard out of his wallet, setting his backpack on the ground as he did so. Inside the bag was a treasure trove of jewels.
A woman then told the man she had dropped money in front of him, police said, likely as a distraction. After the victim withdrew the money, she realized that her backpack had been replaced with a bag that was not hers.
Everything inside her purse was missing, according to police.
No arrests have yet been made and police have no one in custody in connection with the shocking theft. An investigation is underway.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their suggestions by logging into the CrimeStoppers website or on Twitter. @NYPDTips.
