A ‘violent robber’ appears to be in a New York courtroom accused of dozens of knifepoint robberies
A “violent” robber has appeared in court after being arrested in connection with nearly a dozen violent knifepoint robberies in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Nicholas Giraldo, 26, was charged Friday with six counts of burglary and two counts of assault and one count of grand larceny after being identified as a suspect earlier this week.
At least seven of the incidents occurred in Manhattan and one in Brooklyn.
Giraldo’s alleged crime spree began last month on May 7, when he began putting people at knifepoint, starting with a 39-year-old man on West Sixteenth Street.
During the incident, the suspect threatened the victim with a knife and demanded the man’s watch, but the victim managed to escape.
Nicholas Giraldo, 26, is the alleged robber arrested after alleged violent knife robberies in Manhattan and Brooklyn
Giraldo has been charged with six counts of burglary, two counts of assault and one count of grand theft after he was last seen earlier this week
Nicholas Giraldo, 25, may be arraigned Friday from the Sixth Precinct in Manhattan
“He’s a pretty violent guy,” mentioned NYPD Detective Chief James Essig. “He comes forward and stabs someone in the face or body and then removes their headphones or possessions. It really starts in June,” said the chief.
A few weeks later, Giraldo robbed two more people on June 5.
A 24-year-old man standing on 57th Street near the entrance to Central Park was stabbed while his cell phone was stolen.
The victim suffered lacerations to his right arm and torso and was taken to Mount Sinai West Hospital in stable condition.
A few days later, on June 9, a 24-year-old man was robbed of his cell phone and wallet on Grand Street in Manhattan.
The NYPD released photos of Giraldo on social media in an attempt to arrest him
Nicholas Giraldo is seen in Manhattan Criminal Court for multiple knife robberies. He is in custody and has not been released
The suspect pushed the victim to the ground before taking his belongings.
On the morning of June 13, Giraldo allegedly attacked a 55-year-old resident of Brooklyn Heights.
That’s when he “forcefully removed his purse and wallet” (holding $300) and his laptop, police said.
When the person tried to get his belongings again, he was stabbed in the arm.
“To be honest, I was really upset. It just seemed so violent,” said one witness Brooklyn Eagle.
Later that week, on June 19, $550 worth of expensive jewelry was stolen in two separate robberies in Murray Hill, Manhattan.
An NYPD investigation revealed that Giraldo was part of a citywide pattern of thefts
In most of the incidents, Giraldo allegedly threatened the victims with a knife and stabbed people several times.
Giraldo was finally arrested early Friday morning after allegedly stabbing someone in Brooklyn Heights.
A 55-year-old man had his watch stolen. In that incident, Giraldo allegedly grabbed the victim, pushed him against a wall and stabbed him in the stomach. The victim was taken to Bellevue in safe condition.
Later that day, a 68-year-old man was robbed of a $15,000 watch and ring on the same avenue.
On June 19, a 40-year-old man was additionally robbed of a necklace near Madison Avenue.
Again, Giraldo would have pressed the knife against the man’s stomach.
About ten of during the robbery, Giraldo was seen wearing a yellow Precision Electric shirt, although it is unknown if he worked for the corporation.
Geraldo was finally arrested early Friday morning after another man was stabbed in Brooklyn Heights.
