Wife, burqa-wearing husband busted in $1M Hudson Yards jewelry heist
By Olivia Bensimon
New York Post
March 13, 2020
A married couple was busted in Brooklyn for a $1 million Hudson Yards jewelry heist in which the male suspect donned a burqa, ¬police said Friday.
Patrick and Ernestine Preville, both 29, were arrested on Thursday at their Canarsie, Brooklyn, home and charged with grand larceny in the Feb. 23 heist at the Piaget shop, according to police.
Patrick Preville, who sources said wore a burqa and toted a spray bottle during the heist, walked into the luxury jewelry store at around 4 p.m. and asked to look at a necklace, cops said.
When the clerk pulled out the necklace and a ring, he noticed the suspect holding onto one of the store’s watches, police said. But when the employee began to question him, the suspect pulled out a spray bottle and squirted some water in the clerk’s direction.
Preville then allegedly grabbed the necklace — which was priced at about $21,000 — and fled.
He also took two watches — one of which was priced at $64,000, and the other $715,000, cops and police sources said
All of the bling was recovered at the home when the duo was arrested and it was unclear what they were looking to do with the jewelry and watches, according to police.
The woman was also present at Hudson Yards at the time of the heist, though it was not clear if she went into the store.
In addition of the burqa disguise, the crook allegedly alters his voice.
Peter Young, a senior sales consultant for Watches of Switzerland, said the thief made his voice to sound “Vaderesque” — a reference to classic “Star Wars” antagonist Darth Vader.
The heist left workers from other jewelry stores located on the ground floor of Hudson Yards shocked that such a brazen attack had taken place.
“It’s awful,” a worker at Cartier located across the hall said.
At the nearby Van Cleef & Arpels, a worker who declined to give their name reasoned it was part of the business.
“I heard about it. It’s crazy, but that’s the jewelry world,” the administrator told the Post. “Hopefully they’ll catch him.”
They couple were awaiting arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court on Friday morning.
The latest major jewel-store heist in New York before this one came in August when a dapper robber pulled out a pistol an stole a $4 million heist Avianne & Co. Jewelers, a location that’s a favorite of rappers — and gang members, police sources said.
The heist was caught on video and no one was injured.
2 comments:
Osama was supposed to have made at least one getaway wearing a Burqa (and he was 6-5).
In my experience, the jewelry business is a racket anyway. 300% mark up is common so the real loss is usually much lower in value. The price tag is never the true value.
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