Suspect in a wheelchair stealing women's purses

NEW YORK (WABC) -- A crook is hitting hot spots in Midtown, Manhattan to swipe women's purses.

His unconventional getaway vehicle is a wheelchair.

He's targeted fancy restaurants and a hotel.

His victims don't realize what happened until he's wheeled himself away.

The suspect is described as Hispanic man in a wheelchair.

Police released surveillance photos of him wheeling away, dressed all in black.

"A guy in a wheel chair stealing purses, that's crazy. I guess only in New York," said Brayan Orzo, a customer.

Investigators believe this man stole a 42-year-old woman's bag at the Marriot Marquis Hotel on Monday August 19th, getting away with her wallet, iPad, necklace, and money.

Then four days later, a 34-year-old woman noticed her bag was missing at Nobu on 57th Street, again credit cards and money all gone.

Police say she hung it up underneath a bar.

And another four days after that incident, a 40-year-old woman placed her purse on an empty chair next to her.

She got up to dance and when she got back found her purse was missing, and her wallet, credit cards and money were all inside.

Customers are passing the word around to keep your belongings close.

"How is that possible. He must be fast. That's crazy that people steal a purse in a wheel chair," said Cornelio Joseph, a customer.

"It's stealing whether you're on crutches, in a wheelchair, or walking. It's against the law," said another customer.

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