A ‘violent’ mugger has appeared in court after being arrested in connection with almost a dozen violent robberies at knifepoint in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Nicolas Giraldo, 26, was charged on Friday with six counts of robbery and two of assault, as well as grand larceny, after being identified as a suspect earlier in the week.
At least seven of the incidents occurred in Manhattan with one in Brooklyn.
Giraldo’s alleged crime spree started last month on May 7 when he began holding people up at knifepoint, starting with a 39-year-old man on West 16th Street.
The suspect threatened the victim with a knife during the incident demanding the man’s watch, but the victim was able to get away safely.
Nicolas Giraldo, 26, is an alleged mugger who has been arrested following an alleged series of violent robberies at knifepoint in Manhattan and Brooklyn
Giraldo has been charged with six counts of robbery, two counts of assault, and grand larceny after he was finally identified earlier in the week
Nicolas Giraldo, 25, is walked out of the 6th precinct in Manhattan on Friday
‘He’s a pretty violent guy,’ NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said. ‘He comes up and sticks a knife in somebody’s face or body and then he removes headphones or property. He really takes off in June,’ the chief said.
Weeks later, Giraldo allegedly robbed another two people on June 5.
A 24-year-old man standing on 57th Street close to the the entrance to Central Park was stabbed while having his cellphone stolen.
The victim received lacerations to his right hand and torso and was transported to Mount Sinai West hospital in stable condition.
Days later, on June 9, a cellphone and wallet was stolen from a 24-year-old man on Grand Street in Manhattan.
Photos of Giraldo were distributed by the NYPD on social media in the drive to catch him
Nicolas Giraldo is pictured appearing in Manhattan Criminal Court for a series of robberies at knifepoint. He is being held in custody and has not been released
The suspect pushed the victim to the ground before demanding their property.
Giraldo is alleged to have attacked a 55-year-old Brooklyn Heights resident on the morning of June 13.
On that occasion he ‘forcibly removed his bag, wallet [holding $300] and laptop,’ police said.
When the man tried to grab his belongings back, he was stabbed in the arm.
‘To be honest with you, I was very shaken up. It just felt so violent,’ one witness told the Brooklyn Eagle.
Later that same week, on June 19, pricey jewelry worth $550 was stolen in two separate robberies on East 35th Street in Murray Hill in Manhattan.
An NYPD investigation determined Giraldo was part of a citywide robbery pattern
In many of the incidents the Giraldo allegedly threatened the victims with a knife and stabbed people on several occasions
Giraldo was finally arrested in the early hours of Friday morning after allegedly stabbing a man in Brooklyn Heights
A watch from a 55-year-old man was stolen. In that incident, Giraldo is alleged to have grabbed the victim, pushing him against a wall while stabbing him in the stomach. The victim was transported to Bellevue in stable condition.
Later that same day and on the same street, a watch and ring worth $15,000 was stolen from a 68-year-old man.
A necklace was also stolen from a 40-year-old man also on June 19, on nearby Madison Avenue.
Once again, Giraldo allegedly pressed his knife against the man’s stomach.
In about ten of the muggings, Giraldo could be seen wearing a yellow ‘Precision Electric’ shirt, although it is 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.
