Detectives in Manhattan are looking for a versatile villain sought for burglarizing several restaurants and attacking two people in five separate incidents last month.
The NYPD released images on Sunday night of the suspect wanted for his one-man crime tour of the island, including a violent stabbing of a 38-year-old man in the Financial District back on Feb. 13.
In that incident, law enforcement sources said, the suspect attacked the victim during a dispute in front of 83 Pearl St. at about noon.
Cops reported that the argument turned violent when the suspect pulled out a sharp object and stabbed the man in the face. The attacker then fled the scene on foot in an unknown direction.
Officers from the 1st Precinct responded to the stabbing. The victim was treated for his injuries.
Police said the suspect also attacked beat a 60-year-old woman with a loaded bag during a random attack that occurred on the morning of Feb. 23 near Union Square.
According to law enforcement sources, the assailant used the black bag to strike the woman in the back of her head without provocation in front of 10 Union Square East at about 6:50 a.m. that morning. Following the assault, the perpetrator ran from the scene along 14th Street.
Cops from the 13th Precinct responded to the attack. The victim suffered minor head swelling.
Through an investigation, police connected the assailant behind both attacks to the following burglaries:
- At about 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 9, the perpetrator broke into the Gumbae restaurant at 67 Murray St. in Tribeca and stole an iPad from the front desk.
- At 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 10, the suspect broke through a locked door of the Shanghai Mong restaurant, at 30 West 32nd St. in Midtown, and stole $300 from the cash register.
- At 8:45 a.m. on Feb. 23, the crook entered the Elgin restaurant at 64 West 48th St. in Midtown and removed two tablets and $250 in cash from the hostess stand and cash register.
The suspect is shown in these security camera screenshots from footage taken near two of the crime scenes.
Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at nypdcrimestoppers.com, or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
