Child robbers are targeting bars and other watering holes in New York City (NYC), with the juvenile bandits bragging that police officers cannot arrest them due to their age.
One bar owner came forward and recounted his experience with the child robbers. Jacob Rabinowitz, who owns the Amsterdam Ale House on West 76th Street, was at his bar on the evening of Sept. 9. He spotted a child who victimized his patrons in February panhandling outside his business, prompting him to chase the boy away.
He went on to warn other businesses about the child's criminal actions but was threatened by the young culprit. "He said he was going to beat my ass. It was this little kid telling me that," Rabinowitz told the Post on Sept. 10. The bar owner's warning of law enforcement action did not faze the child, who simply replied: "The police can't arrest me, I'm just a kid."
The Stone Street Tavern at the Big Apple's Financial District also fell victim to juvenile robbers. Bartender Raul Gomez recounted an incident in June that involved a seven- or eight-year-old boy stealing a waitress' unattended purse. The child, who was caught on camera, emptied out the purse in the establishment's bathroom.
"We're just telling other people what happened, and we found out that a bunch of other places on the street had gotten hit with the same exact manner," said Gomez. His boss who requested anonymity also expounded on the child robbers' modus operandi.
At first, the children accompanied by their mothers were just selling chocolate. However, upon reaching the taverns, the juveniles then proceeded to rob both employees and patrons. Their mothers, who are reportedly in league with the criminal scheme, permitted their children to roam free.
"The lads will pretend to go downstairs to the bathroom. That's where all the offices and the rooms are for employees only," the Stone Street's manager noted. "And they go right for the employees' purses or bags or coats or wallets or whatever they could find."
The bar manager pointed out that the gang of child robbers "are hitting multiple places on the same day." He also lamented that even if employees kick out the young criminals, they always return for another chance to loot – sometimes just 20 minutes later.
Police unable to do anything against child thieves
According to the Stone Street manager, the boy who broke into the pub in June appeared to be part of the same group that robbed the Amsterdam Ale House on Sept. 9. While it is unclear if the same gang children are involved in all the thefts, several Manhattan bar workers the Post talked to believe they are. (Related: Crime City: New York City records highest number of felony crimes in 16 years.)
The Lexington Publick in East Harlem – also owned by Rabinowitz's – was victimized by the juvenile robbers. Its manager recounted a Sept. 4 incident where a young thief managed to loot about $700 in petty cash from the pub's safe.
Prior to this, a young thief robbed Upside on Amsterdam on Aug. 13. According to law enforcement, the child robber scooted away $600 from an open safe.
According to the Post, the child robbers – "who appear to be no older than 10 – have been targeting businesses in Manhattan and Brooklyn for months." The juvenile criminals have graduated "from snatching money in unattended bags to stealing cash from open safes," it added.
"The spree began about eight months ago, when two children repeatedly wreaked havoc at Amsterdam Ale House, taking whatever they could snatch from unattended bags," the outlet continued. Quoting Amsterdam Ale House manager Whitney Kaufman, the same pair of children returned for another round of looting in February. "Things got out of hand … when the pair grabbed food off a table, pushed a customer and brandished a knife he grabbed off a table."
Rabinowitz admitted to being exhausted over the apparent futility of trying to stop the young bandits. He recalled a police officer telling him that there was nothing law enforcement could do to address the issue.
"We, small business owners, are feeling overwhelmed by this constant barrage of petty theft," said Rabinowitz. "It seems impossible to keep them away, and it's frustrating that nothing is being done about it."
Anarchy.news has more stories about the Big Apple's deteriorating public safety.
Watch Owen Shroyer of InfoWars discussing retail crime in NYC, in the same vein as the pub thefts, below.
This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.
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