A Serial Burglar Is Pretending to Be a Guest and Robbing Hotels in New York City
Police are on the hunt for a man who has been robbing hotels across Manhattan.
According to the New York Post, he's been tricking housekeepers into thinking he's a guest so they let him into rooms as they are cleaning up.
The first burglary was on July 23 at the Club Quarters Hotel in the Financial District. Police claim he stole a $1,300 MacBook Pro, a $220 backpack, a wallet valued at $74, a MacBook case and Apple headphones. We reached out to the hotel for a statement, but they did not get back to us in time for publication.
Just a few days later, on July 27, he robbed both the Hilton Garden Inn on Water Street (also in the Financial District) before moving uptown to the Courtyard Marriott on West 40th Street, near Bryant Park. At the Hilton, he stole a a $2,000 laptop, $1,100 in cash and a $500 watch, among other miscellaneous items, according to police. He also stole two laptops, a tablet, a cell phone, earbuds, a passport, a checkbook and a credit card from the Marriott.
On July 30, the suspect stole another $2,000 worth of belongings from the DoubleTree Hotel downtown, and then later went uptown to the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. A spokesperson for the Marriott Marquis said, "We are aware of this report . . . and are providing appropriate assistance as needed. Because it is a matter under police investigation, we [won't] comment further."
Yet the serial burglaries have continued, and on Aug. 8, he stole a $2,200 MacBook Pro and $400 Bose headphones from the Grand Hyatt near Grand Central Station.
Police said all of the victims were not from the area, and if you have any information, call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).
In the meantime, travelers planning trips to New York City may want to take extra precautions to secure valuables. Be sure to use the hotel safe if one is available, and consider bringing a cable lock for your laptop — especially keeping in mind the thief's modus operandi. Guests may even want to carry certain valuables with them when they leave the hotel (namely wallets and headphones) or leave the "Do Not Disturb" sign up to prevent housekeeping — or serial burglars — from entering the room in the first place.
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- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
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Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
- Top rated mobile app