Luxury Purse Thieves From Newark Captured After Long Island Pursuit

A group of adult shoplifters from Newark were captured after snatching $90,000 worth of pricey purses from a Balenciaga store in the Hamptons, authorities said.

Posh purse pickers plucked by State Police.
Photo Credit: *New York State Police*

Jerry DeMarco

03/05/2022 4:39 p.m.

A flat tire on the Long Island Expressway did them in during a New York State Police pursuit.

One got away, a second was seized immediately and the other three were nabbed after bolting into the woods, the NYSP reported.

The quintet had entered the luxury fashion shop in East Hampton Village, grabbed a bunch of bags and peeled out in a Dodge Durango on Thursday, March 3.

A local police officer tried stopping the supersized SUV but it roared off, authorities said. Troopers spotted it on Sunrise Highway moments later and chased it onto the LIE before the fleeing bandits' tire blew.

Suffolk County Police assisted in the arrests, State Police said, adding that the stolen bags were recovered.

Ali Harris, 28, Jamal Johns, 25, Wazir Rodgers, 25, and Baseemah Tamika Davis, 34, were all held pending arraignments on grand larceny and stolen property possession charges.

State Police didn't say whether they'd identified the female who got away.

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