Headlines

“Man of Steal” Finally in Jail After 46 Retail Thefts and a Stabbing

Prolific thief is the poster boy for NYC’s shoplifting surge.

Published

3 years ago

October 7, 2021

INSTORE Staff

A shameless shoplifter whom the New York Post has cleverly dubbed the “Man of Steal” is now behind bars after being arrested 46 times for retail theft this year alone.

And that’s not the end of the rap sheet for 22-year-old Isaac Rodriguez, the article explains. He has collected a total of 74 offenses since 2015, the most heinous of which is an alleged stabbing from this past summer that hospitalized his victim.

So with a criminal record like his, how was Rodriguez on New York City streets to begin with? The article says he “rode the city’s revolving door of justice,” allegedly stealing from a single Walgreens location 23 times before finally landing in jail.

“This guy comes here every day stealing, every single day. He comes and he steals,” the store’s manager told the paper. “We call 911 and make a report, and that’s it. Our company policy is if anyone comes, because of a safety issue, we cannot stop him. We cannot do anything.”

Police say Rodriguez is indiscriminate when it comes to his thieving exploits, swiping everything from protein drinks to lingerie. He was particularly frisky on July 7, grabbing “10 units of Ensure, 12 Walgreens wipes, 15 units of Sensodyne toothpaste and 8 units of Cetaphil lotion” in a single snatching spree, according to court papers.

The article says that, as of Sept. 12, New York City has seen 26,385 complaints of retail theft this year – the most ever recorded (going back to 1995). That number marks a 38 percent surge from 2014 (19,166).

Read more at the New York Post.

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