Monday 4 October 2021

Brazen thief, 22, shatters New York City's shoplifting record with 46 arrests for retail theft this year alone - hitting one Walgreens 23 times in 12 months

 A New York City kleptomaniac holds the record for the most shoplifting arrests in one year.  

In 2021, Isaac Rodriguez, 22, was arrested 46 times for retail theft.

During that spree, he stole from Walgreen stores at least 37 times - including one Queens store which he hit at least 23 times.

In total he was arrested 57 times for offenses including petit and grand larceny and gang assault.

The 22-year-old has been a serial shoplifter since he was just 15 years old.

Since his criminal record started back in 2015, he has accumulated 74 offenses, The New York Post reported. 

From baby formula, lotion, lingerie, and Dove soap to energy drinks and Sensodyne toothpaste, Rodriguez reportedly stole from dozens of stores in plain sight.

Police said he would usually enter the targeted place for the robbery with a bag that he'd fill with items he deemed convenient as store managers and employees watched.

Rodriguez was jailed this summer after bond to capture him was set at $15,000 by Queens Criminal Court Judge David Kirschner.

Although his shoplifting record was serial, most of Rodriguez's offenses were not bail-eligible.

But after being arrested for shoplifting at a Walgreens in Corona for the 13th time on August 24, he was unable to walk free because of a statue that made it possible for bail if an individual is caught committing a crime while out on their own recognizance for another crime.

Rodriguez's criminal history was limited to theft charges including petit and grand larceny until this summer, when his crime spree reached a violent turn.

In June, Rodriguez and other men robbed, hit, and stabbed 39-year-old Pablo Cusco in Jackson Heights after Cusco gave them a dollar they had asked for.

Commissioner Dermot Shea shared the posts' article on Rodriguez on Saturday and tweeted:'Insanity. No other way to describe the resulting crime that has flowed from disastrous bail reform law'

Commissioner Dermot Shea shared the posts' article on Rodriguez on Saturday and tweeted:'Insanity. No other way to describe the resulting crime that has flowed from disastrous bail reform law'

When Cusco refused to give his cellphone to the group, he was left with injuries on his legs and buttocks and had to be treated at Elmhurst Hospital.

'He almost killed me. He should stay in jail for sure, for sure,' Cusco told The Post. 'I was punched a lot and stabbed with a knife. I'm still scared because they may find me again.'

Rodriguez was arrested and charged with gang assault, and was allowed to leave jail on his own recognizance, allowing him to steal from the Walgreens in Corona in August.

Another Walgreen, however, was hit by Rodriguez even more times than the one in Corona.

Rodriguez targeted the drug store on 91-08 Roosevelt Ave in Jackson Heights at least 23 times, according to police.


'This guy comes here every day stealing, every single day. He comes and he steals,' the manager told the Post.

'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,' the manager added.

They claimed Rodriguez had been stealing from the store for over a year, sometimes attacking even three times in the same day.

Other stores that Rodriguez stole from are CVS, Target, Victoria's Secret, and Macy's.

'Looking at his rap sheet, there isn't a hinge moment. He has a storm of criminal activity in his life. The outcomes have not dissuaded him from this path. There is a pattern of behavior that perpetuates a cycle of crime here. And it hasn't been stopped,' a police officer told The Post.

Rodriguez targeted a drug store on 91-08 Roosevelt Ave in Jackson Heights at least 23 times over, according to police. The manager claimed Rodriguez had been stealing from the store for over a year, sometimes attacking even three times in the same day

Rodriguez targeted a drug store on 91-08 Roosevelt Ave in Jackson Heights at least 23 times over, according to police. The manager claimed Rodriguez had been stealing from the store for over a year, sometimes attacking even three times in the same day

Commissioner Dermot Shea shared the posts' article on Rodriguez on Saturday and tweeted: 'Insanity. No other way to describe the resulting crime that has flowed from disastrous bail reform law.'

New York City has seen an all-time high in shoplifting crimes.

In September, the city experienced the most reports of retail theft since 1995, with 26,385. Thirty-two percent more than last year.

NYPD Chief of Crime Control Strategies Michael LiPetri told The Post that shoplifters do not usually face the same accountability that offenders facing other crimes. 

LiPetri said that  37percent of individuals arrested for larceny are already facing felony charges. 

Methods like increasing police patrols in neighborhoods highly affected by shoplifters have been implemented, but the numbers remain higher than ever. 

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