A pair of brazen thieves who managed to swipe a bicycle worth $3,000 chained-up in front of an Upper East Side diner found themselves in handcuffs within minutes, after officers canvassed for the suspect Friday morning, police tell Upper East Site.
Investigators say it was around 10:30 am, when the victim, a 46-year-old man, reported that his bike had just been stolen after being chained up in front of the Gracie Mews Diner at 1550 First Avenue, near the corner of East 81st Street.
Witnesses had seen one of the suspects taking his bike and fleeing southbound toward 80th Street, police say. After a short search with the help of the victim, officers caught up with the suspects in front of a smoke shop several blocks away.
Exclusive Upper East Site photos show the suspected bicycle thieves, identified by police as 47-year-old Jason Simmons and 27-year-old Edward Desterdick, of Brooklyn and the Garment District, respectively, being arrested by several NYPD officers in front of Exclusive Smokes, located at 1456 Second Avenue, near the corner of East 76th Street.
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Both men now face a single count of Grand Larceny. In addition to the stolen black bicycle recovered, authorities told Upper East Site that a black dagger was also found during a search of the men, but did not specify which suspect was in possession of the blade.
No one was hurt during the incident.
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