NYPD: Man sought in connection to alleged theft, pepper-spraying of employee in Manhattan
Originally published in
Staten Island Advance
on
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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The NYPD is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying an individual wanted in connection to an alleged incident of attempted retail theft and the assault of a store employee in Manhattan.
A new statute that went into effect last month allows prosecutors to file felony charges against individuals accused of carrying out assaults against retail workers while shoplifting.
As part of a bill written by state Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D-North Shore/South Brooklyn) and signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul this past spring, the assault of a retail worker has been elevated to a Class E felony, making the crime punishable by up to four years in prison.
