Man Sought In Connection To At Least 8 Jewelry Thefts
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A man is wanted in connection to several jewelry thefts that have occurred since early May.
The NYPD says they are searching for 34-year-old Ezequiel Ortiz.
Ortiz has allegedly stolen jewelry from at least eight individuals. Seven of the victims were women over the age of 66. The eighth victim was a 94-year-old man.
The thefts occurred in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Harlem between May 4 and July 22.
Police say Ortiz has stolen a wedding band, necklaces, bracelets and a ring. The combined value of the stolen jewelry is at least $3,100.
In some instances, Ortiz allegedly approached the victim and said he would clean or repair their jewelry, then ran away when the victim handed it to him. In other instances, he allegedly snatched the jewelry off the victim and ran.
Anyone who sees Ortiz or has information regarding his whereabouts is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-8477 or for Spanish, 1-888-577-4782. Tips can also be sent to the NYPDTips Twitter account or submitted online at NYPDCrimeStoppers.com.