Burglary Pattern & $200,000 Jewelry Store Heist Rock Chinatown

It’s the Year of the Fire Horse and things are getting heated on the Chinatown crime front. Consequently, the New York City Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the individual wanted in connection with a local burglary pattern that occurred within the confines of the 5th Precinct. Details are as follows:

Incident #1: On Monday, February 9, 2026, at approximately 12:10 a.m., inside 99 Elizabeth St., near Grant an unidentified individual entered what in English is the A.M. Pharmacy (it also has a Chinese language sign) through the front door. Once inside, the individual went into a private, unoccupied office and removed a 40-year-old female victim’s Apple Airpods from her purse.

The individual then fled on foot in an unknown direction. There were no injuries reported as a result of this incident. The value of the stolen property is approximately $200.

Incident #2: On Monday, February 9, 2026, at approximately 1230 a.m., inside at 185 Canal St., near Mott Street, an unidentified individual entered Luk Fook Jewelry through the front door. Once inside, the individual went into a private, unoccupied office and removed a 48-year-old female victim’s wallet, which contained debit cards, credit cards, personal identification and approximately $200.

The individual then fled the location on foot in an unknown direction. The victim later discovered unauthorized charges had been made to her bank account without permission or authority. There were no injuries reported as a result of this incident. The value of the stolen property is approximately $950.

The burglar is described as a Black male with a dark complexion. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, a gray hat and black pants.

$200,000 Armed Robbery at Canal Street Jewelry Store

Cops are also asking for the public’s help in identifying the individual wanted in connection with a commercial robbery that occurred within the confines of the 5th Precinct. Details are as follows:

On Sunday, March 1, 2026, at approximately 6:50 p.m., an unidentified individual entered a commercial establishment located at 253 Canal Street, near Lafayette Street, believed to be Sang Shang Jewelry. The individual produced a black firearm and forced a 67-year-old male and a 67-year-old female to the ground. The gunman demanded jewelry from the store and fled on foot with items valued at approximately $200,000. He was last seen traveling eastbound on Canal Street. No injuries were reported as a result of this incident.

That high value armed robbery would occur here, at the crossroads of Manhattan’s counterfeit fashion and Apple headphones trade, is beyond ironic. Besides the scores of aggressive young West African men hustling their wares, and a smaller number of older Chinese women acting as steerers to nearby counterfeit markets, cops are a common, if not ubiquitous, presence.

Anyone with information regarding these incidents is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, on X @NYPDTips.

All calls are strictly confidential.