A veteran highway cop was suspended Saturday after his NYPD patrol vehicle with a loaded shotgun inside was stolen by a loony Bronx crook, police said.
Nelson Robles, 42, ducked into Lydig Coffee Shop in Morris Park for breakfast at 7 a.m. when in a flash his marked Chevy Tahoe was gone, police sources said.
“This is the embarrassing part – he goes into a coffee shop and leaves the vehicle running,” a police source said.
Anibal Lugo, a local resident with mental problems, hopped into the idle jeep and peeled off, police said.
He drove over the Whitestone Bridge, all the way to LaGuardia Airport before leaving the vehicle running in a parking lot.
An alert Port Authority cop spotted the marked patrol car, secured it and later arrested Lugo at a car rental counter in the US Airways terminal.
The shotgun was untouched, but Lugo, wearing rubber gloves, had lifted the cops’ handcuffs, clipboard and paperwork.
Lugo – who has prior arrests dating back to 1990 – was charged with criminal possession of stolen property, grand larceny and impersonating a police officer.
Lugo told cops he meant no harm. “He just wanted to go for a ride,” a police source at the scene said.
Robles, who’s been on the job since 1995, was suspended without pay.
But George Pampafikos, the coffee shop’s co-owner, said Robles couldn’t have been in the restaurant for more than two minutes.
“By the time he was in here, the car was gone,” Pampafikos said.
Lugo was taken to the 49th Precinct stationhouse in the Bronx.
(Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/)
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6 Responses
The officer had been on the job for many years.
Things got routine and he slacked off.
It’s hard to stay vigilint at all times every second year after routine year.
However that is the job these officers signed up and the job they must do.
I can understand how it happened and feel sorry for the officer and yet such incidents cannot just be overlooked.
Air traffic controllers have the same problem, after years of looking at screens full of dots and lights is may be possible to miss a plan and yet if they do lives can be lost so there can be no excuse no matter how tedious it is to stay alert.
The job must be done and must be done correctly everytime without exception.
Unfortunately I agree with hereorthere. Let’s be thankful no innocent bystander was killed.
Hypothetical: A Hatzolah member leaves his black Crown Victoria -which looks just like an undercover cop car- unattended with the keys inside. A thug steals the car and uses the lightpack installed to get into, say, a secure part of JFK. The media catches wind of the story and within hours it’s all over the web.
What would the cops on their RANT say should be done to this Hatzolah member in particular and to the whole Hatzolah in general?
Well, I’m sure you all know what…
Know what? Whatever they’d say should be done to the H member is exactly what should be done to this cop.
What would the cops on their RANT say should be done to this Hatzolah member in particular and to the whole Hatzolah in general?
You should see what they are saying about this..
Cops are harder on themselves then you can imagine….and I am a Yid and a old time cop…
Time to make the donuts.
Who in NYC will leave their car even for two minutes with the engine running. It shows the officer is not too bright and he has no respect for my property. Yes as a tax payer I am one of the owners of the vehicle.