A homeless man, accused of stealing an 88-year-old woman’s cane in Union Square and subsequently running her over in an attempt to escape with her wallet, is identified as a registered sex offender and a parole violator from Wisconsin, according to court officials during a hearing on Saturday.
Curtis McVeigh appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court sporting a bushy beard, mustache, and messy blond hair. The 36-year-old’s attire consisted of a white T-shirt, a green flannel jacket, a gray hoodie, forest green sweatpants, and gray sneakers; his hands looked dirty.
Law enforcement reported that McVeigh allegedly grabbed an elderly woman’s arm and snatched her cane while she was walking to a Target near Union Square around 3 p.m. on Thursday.
Despite the incident, the victim clung to her cane and ended up falling during the altercation, as stated by Assistant District Attorney Sidney Albert. She was later hospitalized but has since been stabilized and released.
Albert noted that the victim’s health aide managed to take a photo of McVeigh’s clothing, which was instrumental in creating a wanted poster that led to his arrest.
Prosecutors highlighted McVeigh’s failure to show up for court on three other occasions related to separate cases.
Judge Felicia Menin revealed that McVeigh is registered as a sex offender in Wisconsin but has not registered in New York. He has faced multiple arrests in New York for charges ranging from petty theft to possession of controlled substances.
According to police, he is also in violation of New York state probation and parole regulations.
After being arraigned on robbery charges, McVeigh was sent to Rikers Island Jail.
His defense lawyer, David Park, acknowledged that the charges are serious, but argued that his client lacks the means to post bail or flee.
Park mentioned that McVeigh had worked as a stocker at Macy’s for seven months and is currently residing at a shelter on the Bowery, adding that prior to his job at Macy’s, McVeigh had been “recycling plastic.”
During the court proceedings, McVeigh spoke several times about his work, though he appeared to mumble incoherently at times.
Furthermore, McVeigh’s lawyer stated that Ms. McVeigh was absent from court due to “misplaced documents.” He added that she missed a February 17 court appearance related to her robbery arrest at Duane Reade because she was working from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Judge Menin set a bail amount of $7,500 in cash, $30,000 through surety, and $25,000 via a bond from an insurance company. He was remanded to Rikers Island.
Upon returning home, McVeigh told a reporter he was “better now,” but declined to provide any additional comments.
