Thief Swipes Man's Wallet In Queens To Buy Subway Rides: NYPD

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS -- While some simply hop the turnstile for a free train ride, one man allegedly shirked his fee by swiping a man's wallets and buying metrocards with the stolen credit cards.

A 34-year-old man was standing on the N/7 platform at the Queensboro Plaza train station in Long Island City on Jan. 4 at around 5 a.m. when he noticed his back pocket was open and his wallet missing, police said.

When the man later checked his bank account, the only suspicious activities to be found were two unauthorized metrocard purchases, police said. One was made Jan. 12 at around 1:48 a.m. and another on Jan. 23 just after 4 a.m.

The NYPD released surveillance photos of the suspected thief, who police described as a man last seen wearing a bright blue winter coat and a blue NY Yankee baseball hat.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).

Lead photo via NYPD.