Police said the first incident took place in Wakefield on Monday, July 31, at around 9 p.m. They said the victim, a 32-year-old woman was at the intersection of White Plains Road and East 233rd Street and was approached by a motorcycle rider who they said stole her purse. They said it contained a cell phone, headphones and credit cards. They said the thief then fled westbound on East 233rd Street on his vehicle. “The victim suffered minor injuries, sought medical attention at Montefiore Medical Center by private means,” a police spokesperson said.

Police said the second incident occurred in Kingsbridge Heights on Friday, Aug. 4, at around 6.45 p.m. They said the victim, a 24-year-old woman, was walking in the vicinity of Kingsbridge Terrace and West Kingsbridge Road when she was approached from behind by a moped rider who, again, snatched the victim’s chain from her neck. They said he then fled northwest on West Kingsbridge Road on his vehicle. “The victim suffered minor injuries and refused medical attention,” a police spokesperson said.

The third incident took place on Friday, Aug. 11, at around 11.35 p.m. also in Kingsbridge Heights, according to the NYPD.  A police spokesperson said the victim, a 25-year-old woman was walking in the vicinity of West 197th Street and Sedgwick Avenue, when she was approached by a scooter rider who forcibly stole her purse from her shoulder. “The purse contained the victim’s cell phone, credit cards, and $50,” the NYPD spokesperson said. “The individual fled in an unknown direction on the scooter [and] the victim suffered minor injuries and refused medical attention.”

Police said the fourth incident took place on Wednesday, Aug. 23, at around 8.29 p.m. in Olinville. They said the victim, a 48-year-old woman was walking in the vicinity of East 216th Street and Willett Avenue when she was approached by a moped rider who they said snatched her chain from her neck. “The individual fled in an unknown direction on the moped,” a police spokesperson said. “The victim suffered minor injuries and refused medical attention.”

According to the NYPD, the fifth incident occurred on Wednesday, Aug. 23, at around 8.30 p.m. in Norwood. They said the victim, a 52-year-old woman, was walking in the vicinity of Rochambeau Avenue and East 212th Street when she was approached by a moped driver from behind who forcibly stole two of the victim’s chains from her neck. “The individual fled southbound on Rochambeau Avenue on the moped,” a police spokesperson said. “The victim refused medical attention.”

Anyone with information regarding any of these incidents 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 Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, on Twitter @NYPDTips.

All calls are strictly confidential.