Perpetrator of Morningside Robberies Caught

Police say they arrested the perpetrator of at least seven robberies of Morningside Heights stores when he attempted another robbery Saturday.

54-year-old Angel Figueroa has robbed or attempted to rob several local establishments over the past three weeks. He is also accused of another robbery and assault that occurred in November. Figueroa took only what was in the stores’ cash registers, escaping with a few hundred dollars each time.

Police had mounted a joint investigation between the 26th and 24th precincts, which encompass Morningside Heights and the Upper West Side respectively. Until Saturday, Figueroa had slipped through authorities’ fingers, repeatedly fleeing before they could arrive.

Figueroa attempted to rob the Steps New York clothing store at 2736 Broadway at 105th Street on Saturday, Jan. 26 at around 1:45 p.m., police said. A police report said that after Figueroa announced the robbery and demanded money, “the clerk screamed and the guard immediately locked the doors, trapping the suspect.”

Police arrived on the scene, responding to a call of robbery in progress. They later identified Figueroa—who lives on 109th Street—as the perpetrator, charging him with robbery in the second degree.

Store employees present at the attempted robbery on Saturday could not be reached for comment. No employees were hurt in the incident, the store manager said.

According to police, Figueroa is still under investigation for other criminal charges. He had been released from prison on Jan. 14—one day after robbing a store at 2824 Broadway and a few days before robbing the clothing boutique Liberty House and the shoe store Aerosoles. Figueroa’s court appearance is scheduled for Mar. 20 for charges of robbery in the third degree, robbery in the first degree with display of a firearm, robbery in the second degree with a cause of physical injury, assault, and criminal possession of stolen property in the fifth degree.

daniel.amzallag@columbiaspectator.com