Police: Bronx Man Charged In 7 Pickpocketing Cases
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A serial pickpocket suspect has been charged in connection with seven separate cases over a nine-month period.
Walter Del Rosario, 49, of the Bronx, is accused of preying on women who were pushing baby strollers at the time of the thefts which occurred between 2013-2014, police said.
In one case, police say a woman realized her cell phone was missing after walking into a restaurant with her purse hanging on the handle of a stroller as a man held the door for her. Another woman was robbed of her iPhone and wallet with $380 in cash that she had left on the stroller she was pushing, WCBS 880's Irene Cornell reported.
Police say Del Rosario was seen on video surveillance in each incident either taking the stolen items outright or shielding the victim's view of their personal property, after which went missing.
Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said Queens County has long been known as a shopper's mecca and the pickpocket fleeced the reputation of the borough itself.
If convicted, police say Del Rosario could face up to 22 years in prison.
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