A habitual pickpocket on the New York Police Department’s subway offender list has returned to the streets with another crime, authorities said.
According to a criminal complaint, Darin Mickens, who has been arrested more than 60 times, is accused of stalking a woman walking with her daughter on Grand Avenue near Elizabeth Street in March, “pushing open” her bag and stealing her wallet.
According to authorities, officers identified Mickens from surveillance footage in the area and arrested him on May 13.
Mickens, 56, who was on the New York Police Department’s “Nifty 50” list of the city’s most repeat subway offenders, was soon back on the streets, as were dozens of others in the case.
He pleaded not guilty to three counts of grand larceny on June 25 and was given probation by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who was soft on crime.
And critics said the catch-and-release cycle will not end until the law changes.
“This guy added 60 numbers to your list. [of crimes in the city] And now he’s doing it again,” said Joseph Giacalone, a former NYPD sergeant and adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
“Some would say he’s not dangerous. These crimes can turn violent in an instant.”
Mickens and his lawyer did not respond to requests for comment.
