FINANCIAL DISTRICT, Manhattan (PIX11) — Burglars took thousands in cash from over a dozen vendors at a popular Manhattan food hall, officials said Wednesday.
The burglars struck just before 3 a.m. at UrbanSpace Pearl. Vendors are now growing concerned with the security at the space, which opened just three months ago.
Mike Petrovitch, owner of Que Chevere, got the call about the burglary when he was headed to work. He had his chef go ahead to look at the surveillance video, which showed two people going through the safe and register.
“I feel violated,” he said. “You’re coming into my home, basically, my property, and just taking what you feel is yours. It’s not right.”
Petrovitch, whose stall specializes in Puerto Rican cuisine, is one of 16 vendors who was robbed. The burglars took no more than three minutes to swipe his safe and $700 from his register before moving on to the next register.
Lawrence Mach, who owns Senshi Ramen and Coney Shack, said he’s out more than $800 after the theft. He can’t wrap his head around why anyone would target these vendors. Most of them opted to be a vendor at the commercial space instead of opening a brick-and-mortar location as they are harder to sustain.
“Like every small business, we are just trying to survive,” he said.
Calls to Urban Space Management, which manages Urban Space locations, were not immediately returned.
Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).