On Thanksgiving, a bold burglar broke into a luxury apartment building on the Upper West Side and made off with a safe packed with nearly $400,000 in cash and jewelry, police said on Saturday.
The heist happened around 12:15 a.m. at 75 West End Avenue, a 39-floor building with doormen and security. The thief smashed through the door, breaking the frame, and managed to grab a safe that held $220,000 in cash and $160,000 worth of jewelry. But that’s not all. The crook also swiped three high-end Goyard pouches worth about $6,000 and seven pairs of Louis Vuitton sneakers valued at $7,700.
For those who don’t know, Goyard bags are handmade and can cost up to $2,000 each—a luxury prize for the burglar.
At the time, a friend of the apartment’s resident had been staying there for about a month, but they weren’t home when the break-in happened. It’s still unclear how the burglar even got into the high-security building. Investigators are now reviewing security footage, hoping for clues.
The robbery has shaken up residents of the building. Lawyer Anjori Mitra, who lives there, was stunned that something like this could happen in a place she thought was secure. “It’s surprising to me because it’s a safe building,” said the 34-year-old. “There’s security, a team of doormen. A lot of people live and work here.”
Anjori admitted she’s already cautious when walking around the area, especially at night. “Walking down West End Avenue is okay, but the side streets—like West 63rd, 64th, and 65th—I wouldn’t walk there late at night,” she said. “We’re paying a lot of rent to feel safe, and now I’m taking cars home late at night.”
Another resident, Isaac Saidmehr, 62, shared how the incident has added to his worries about rising crime in the neighborhood. “It’s happening more and more,” he said. “It’s scary. My wife tells me about these things, and she comes home shaken up.”
Isaac is calling for action, saying, “I want to see more cops on the streets.”
The Thanksgiving burglary has left many in the area uneasy, with questions swirling about how the thief managed to bypass what was supposed to be a secure building. For now, residents are anxiously waiting for answers while police continue their investigation.
