A shocking video that went viral this week shows a 62-year-old woman being dragged down a Brooklyn street, NY, by a thief who snatches his wallet, where his cell phone and other belongings were, and escapes on a moped. The criminal is part of a gang that would be made up of at least 14 immigrants and whose leader has already been identified: he is of Venezuelan nationality and is being intensively searched, the authorities reported.
Chain cnn indicated that at least seven immigrants were arrested on Monday after a search warrant at the ringleader’s home in the Bronx revealed a connection to a pattern of theft occurring in four districts of the city of NY.
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He New York City Police Department (NYPD) He said that the detainees are part of a criminal enterprise that primarily uses stolen mopeds to snatch phones iPhone and then hack these devices to empty bank accounts and commit other crimes.
“We believe individuals have been involved in 62 theft incidents throughout our city, including our transit system,” the mayor said. Eric Adams, according to CNN. “They ride mopeds, scooters and steal property from New Yorkers, such as iPhones and wallets”he added.
For his part, the chief of detectives of the New York Police, Joseph Kennystated that since January 1, 2024, the city has registered 32 robbery patterns involving mopeds and phone thieves, compared to one at this time last year. “That’s 147 cases and that’s 147 victims,” he said.
Phones end in South America
Kenny identified the leader of the organization as the Venezuelan immigrant Victor Parra.
The detective stated that Vine He usually sends messages in WhatsApp to his accomplices where he asks them to get him a phone.
The people who work for him then go about stealing the phones.
CNN stated that Moped drivers earn $100 a day and phone stealers earn up to $600 per device..
Kenny reported that the gang delivers the stolen phones to Vinewho has technical knowledge to hack them, steal money from bank accounts and carry out illegal transactions.
Once the money runs out or the phone can no longer be used, Vine I would send it to Colombia either Venezuela to be reprogrammed and sold, CNN indicated.
Detective Kenny said at least 22 stolen phones were found in the home of Vine. The ringleader was not at his home, so he remains a fugitive.
Authorities described Parra as a 30-year-old man born in Venezuela.. In the past he was arrested in Manhattan for grand theft.
It is believed that he entered the state of NY in 2023.
The gang of immigrants dedicated to robbery in New York.
Informed by his accomplices
The police of NY has said that the band is made up of 14 immigrants. It is unclear whether the seven detained Monday are undocumented or asylum seekers.
Before the operation on Monday at the house of Vinethe police arrested on Friday Cleyber Andrade, 19 years old; and Juan Uzcategui, of 23, according to the New York Post.
They both have known each other since Colombia and allegedly committed phone thefts in a moped in it Lower Manhattan. They ended up denouncing Vine and giving the location of his hiding place.
When they were chased by the police, Andrade and Uzcategui They threw a bag that a citizen found and then handed over to the authorities. The New York Post’s sources said that in the package were three cell phones: two of his victims and the other of one of the suspects.
Police have also identified six other people related to the criminal network: Yan Jiménez, 25, of Manhattan; Anthony Ramos, 21, of Manhattan; Richard Saledo, 21, of the Bronx; Beike Jimenez, 21, of the Bronx; Maria Manaura, 32, of Manhattan; and Samuel Castro, 27, of Queens.
The New York Post said they all have prior arrests for grand theft and criminal activity. They were free without bail pending dates for their court hearings.
“This network of thieves lives predominantly in the immigrant shelter system”Investigator Kenny said. “They use social media platforms to organize and coordinate this. “That’s how they operate.”
One of the victims speaks
The woman in the video who was dragged away by the thieves was identified as Irina Panteleeva.
She said that the thieves took her purse, her keys, her phone, your credit cards and your glasses. The woman ended up crashing into a metal bicycle rack.
“I feel bad, I feel bad”Panteleeva told the New York Post. “The thieves stole my purse.”
New criminal modalities
According to CNN, NYPD Chief of Patrol John M. Chell said robbery is not the only type of crime the city has seen since the influx of immigrants and that human trafficking and domestic violence begin to emerge within the shelters.
“This is not about immigrants and applicants for asylumthese are criminals who committed a crime and we will treat criminals the same whether they are long-time New Yorkers or whether they just got here last year,” said Mayor Adams.
NYPD Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban went further and said: “A wave of crimes committed by migrants has invaded our citybut in no way do these represent all migrants.”
