Union Square Thieves Rob Taxi Drivers On Christmas, Cops Say

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK — Cops are looking for a crew of rogue taxi passengers who went on a wallet-stealing spree on Christmas Day.

The three-man team stole wallets from four taxi drivers in downtown Manhattan within three hours the afternoon of Dec. 25, police said.

Two men grabbed the wallet of a 70-year-old taxi driver stopped on East 13th Street and Broadway about 3:40 p.m., police said.

The men then hailed a cab with a third accomplice at East 14th Street and Union Square and stole their 45-year-old driver's wallet by distracting him with conversation, according to police.

They hailed a third cab on the same corner at 5:20 p.m., and one man chatted with the 37-year-old driver, two others climbed into the back seat, grabbed his wallet and fled, according to police.

The trio moved down to final heist on Centre and Chamber streets about 6:20 p.m., police said. Again, two men climbed into a cab and snatched the drivers wallet as a third distracted him with conversation.

The threesome then ducked into the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall subway station and left the neighborhood, police said.

Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact police.