NYPD resorts to dental records to identify man who was robbed after being crushed to death in accident
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY: In the wake of the horrific Oct 6 crime in which a female thief pickpocketed a dead man who was mercilessly crushed by a construction vehicle, NYPD is now using dental records and fingerprints to identify the dead man, who is believed to be in his 50s.
A police source said, as quoted by NY Post, "We’ve already lifted prints, and waiting on dental. Thankfully they didn’t steal his teeth too. They took his ID so we can’t ID him. He’s a John Doe right now.” A video spotted the thief taking the victim’s wallet after the gruesome crash that took place on Eighth Avenue at West 44th Street in Manhattan. The victim was crossing the busy street on the morning of October 6 at around 11.30 am. The video showed the woman, wearing white pants and a black jacket, going under the truck toward the dead man and reaching out for his wallet. One of the onlookers, who seemed not affected by the sight of the dead man, said, “Go ahead, gangsta! Go ahead!” Some onlookers called the police to inform about this heinous theft. On the other hand, no charges have been filed against the driver of the truck, as of now.
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The incident left many disgusted
Sanitation worker Jake Sean said on Sunday, October 9, "That’s crazy. How can you steal from a body on the street? That’s f**ked up. You’ve got to be at your lowest to do that.” Security guard Luis Ortiz said, "Living in New York you expect to see some weird things. But to go through a body and steal? That’s a new level. It’s sad to believe you could be a person who goes through a dead person’s pockets.” Another local resident, named Sandra, who works in finance, said she was “horrified” by the whole situation, reports NY Post.
Commenting on it, Paul DiGiacomo, president of the Detective’s Endowment Association, said, “Criminals have no fear of repercussions anymore and they will victimize even the dead. When are our politicians going to wake up?” Adding further, a veteran cop tagged the theft as “a travesty,” and said “this is the new New York and there’s no outrage. Nobody’s marching for this [thief’s] head.” To which a police source commented by saying, "You know things are bad when the only people getting fingerprinted these days are the victims.”