Female Shoplifters Beat Worker on Lower East Side

Police are searching for two women in connection with a shoplifting and an assault on a store worker. -Photo by NYPD

By Dan Gesslein 

Manhattan Voice

July 17, 2023

MANHATTAN - Two female shoplifters who tried to leave a Lower East Side variety store without paying beat a clerk and did damage to the store, cops said.

Police released surveillance video of the suspects being sought. The footage was taken from inside an elevator inside the LaGuardia NYCHA Development after the assault.

At around 9:20 am on June 13, two woman walked into a variety store on the corner of Clinton Avenue on the Lower East Side.

Cops said the women took merchandise and then tried to leave the store without paying. That is when a 32-year-old female worker tried to stop one of the shoplifters from leaving.

The thief turned and began repeatedly punching the worker in the head. The attacker also kicked in the front glass door to the store, causing it to shatter.

The shoplifters fled on foot in an unknown direction.

The victim was treated by EMS at the scene.

The suspects are described as two women with dark complexions.

According to the released surveillance video, the first suspect has red hair. She was last seen wearing a black and grey hoodie, black shorts and white sneakers.

The second suspect was last seen wearing a pink Du rag, black t-shirt, black shorts and pink Crocs.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or on Twitter @NYPDTips. 

All calls are strictly confidential.