A “violent” mugger has appeared in court after being arrested in connection with nearly a dozen violent robberies at knifepoint in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Nicolas Giraldo, 26, was charged on Friday with six robberies and two assaults and grand larceny after being identified as a suspect earlier in the week.
At least seven of the incidents occurred in Manhattan, including one in Brooklyn.
Giraldo’s alleged crime streak began last month on May 7 when he began ambushing people at knifepoint, initially against a 39-year-old man on West 16th Street.
The suspect threatened the victim with a knife during the incident and demanded the man’s guard, but the victim safely escaped.
Nicolas Giraldo, 26, is a suspected mugger who was arrested after an alleged series of violent robberies at knifepoint in Manhattan and Brooklyn
Giraldo has been charged with six counts of robbery, double assault and grand larceny after he was finally identified earlier in the week
Nicolas Giraldo, 25, is being ushered out of Manhattan’s 6th Ward on Friday
“He’s a pretty violent guy,” said NYPD Chief Detective James Essig. “He comes and sticks a knife in someone’s face or body and then takes off headphones or other objects.” “He really takes off in June,” said the boss.
Weeks later, on June 5, Giraldo reportedly robbed two more people.
A 24-year-old man standing on 57th Street near the entrance to Central Park was stabbed to death while his cellphone was stolen.
The victim sustained lacerations to the right hand and upper body and was transported to Mount Sinai West Hospital in stable condition.
Days later, on June 9, a cell phone and wallet were stolen from a 24-year-old man on Grand Street in Manhattan.
Photos of Giraldo were circulated on social media by the NYPD in an attempt to catch him
Nicolas Giraldo appears in Manhattan Criminal Court on a series of robberies at knifepoint. He is in custody and has not been released
The suspect pushed the victim to the ground before demanding his property.
Giraldo reportedly assaulted a 55-year-old Brooklyn Heights resident on the morning of June 13.
On that occasion, “he forcibly took out his bag and wallet.” [holding $300] and laptop,” police said.
When the man tried to retrieve his belongings, he was stabbed in the arm.
“To be honest, I was very upset. “It just felt so violent,” a witness told the Brooklyn Eagle.
Later that same week, on June 19, $550 worth of expensive jewelry was stolen in two separate robberies on East 35th Street in Manhattan’s Murray Hill.
An NYPD investigation revealed that Giraldo was part of a citywide robbery
In many incidents, the Giraldo is said to have repeatedly threatened the victims with a knife and stabbed people
Giraldo was finally arrested in the early hours of Friday morning after allegedly stabbing a man in Brooklyn Heights
A watch was stolen from a 55-year-old man. In this incident, Giraldo is said to have grabbed the victim, pressed him against a wall and stabbed him in the stomach at the same time. The victim was transported to Bellevue in stable condition.
Later that same day, a watch and ring worth $15,000 were stolen on the same street from a 68-year-old man.
Also on June 19, a necklace was stolen from a 40-year-old man on nearby Madison Avenue.
Again Giraldo is said to have pressed his knife against the man’s stomach.
In about ten of the robberies, Giraldo was seen wearing a yellow “Precision Electric” shirt, although it’s not known if he worked for the company.
Giraldo was finally arrested in the early hours of Friday morning after allegedly stabbing another man in Brooklyn Heights.