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Frum Woman Tracks Down, Nabs Pickpocketer

by Sandy Eller – VIN News

Dina Wohlhendler snapped this photo of the suspect Tywanda Deckard at Best Buy. Photo: VIN News.

A Borough Park woman turned in an impressive piece of detective work yesterday, as a shopping expedition in Manhattan set off a chain of events that ended with a recently released felon being taken into police custody.

24 year old, Dina Wohlhendler was shopping at Zara’s when she noticed that her wallet was missing. Thinking that she had left her wallet, which contained a substantial amount of cash as well as several credit cards and a debit card.

As Mrs. Wohlhendler headed back to her office located just one block away, she received an alert from Chase Bank informing her that a $211 charge had been made on her debit card at a Midtown Urban Outfitters store.

“I knew that Urban Outfitters had opened up a new location on 43rd and 5th and I wasn’t far from there,” Mrs. Wohlhendler told VIN News. “I ran over and asked the cashier if they remembered anyone making a large purchase, but there were no customers that stood out in their minds.”

Going back out onto 5th Avenue, Mrs. Wohlhendler began walking uptown hoping to somehow spot the thief on her own, when she noticed a Best Buy located one block to the north. Acting on instinct, she entered the store where she observed a woman, holding an Urban Outfitters bag, purchasing a cell phone. Coming closer to the shopper, she noticed the name on the credit card being offered to the cashier was none other than her own.

“I started yelling at her,” said Mrs. Wohlhendler. “At first she denied that the card was mine, but then she started yelling at me. She started running away towards the back of the store, but I ran after her, calling for security. She started throwing the merchandise from Urban Outfitters at me, then some cash, then my wallet, screaming ‘here is your stuff back, it is just a mix-up.’”

Best Buy security detained the woman and insisted that the pair wait for police to clarify the matter.

“As we were waiting, she said to me ‘you have your stuff back, this is just a waste of time’”, recalled Mrs. Wohlhendler. “Then she took another tack saying, ‘I am Muslim, you are Jewish. You are all greedy, why can’t you just let it go?’”

Upon their arrival, police immediately found inconsistencies in the suspect’s story, who first insisted that she hadn’t used the credit card, but store surveillance tapes indicated otherwise.

The suspect, who was identified as Tywanda Deckard, was taken in for questioning before being arrested on several charges including grand larceny, and possession of stolen goods. Deckard was released on parole on June 10th after being convicted on two counts of identity theft.

“The police were amazed that I got everything back,” admitted Mrs. Wohlhendler. “One of the officers jokingly handed me his shield and thanked me for doing his job.”

A spokesperson for Best Buy confirmed that the incident did take place yesterday in their Midtown store but refused to elaborate further. The NYPD did not return calls for comments regarding the case.

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14 Comments

  • STTS

    surveillance cameras again can help in most cases. But this woman is really a tough Jewish woman. Yashar koach.
    look also at how people will use this low class tactic of muslim against Jew. Interesting how she uses the Muslims for this…..Muslims might have their horrific brand of trouble, but they don’t pickpocket….

  • SILLY

    EXCUSE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! YOU JUST STOLE MY CREDIT CARD… SORRY FOR BEING GREEDY…….. HA HA!! DUMB DUMB!

  • FROM 770

    A BIG YASHER KOACH TO THAT LADY BUT BECARFUL SHE REMAINS A MUSLIM, IYAMARCHEMA

  • change the laws

    So many crimes committed by creeps on parole. Lock um up and throw out the key! Or they will just do it again. and again, and again.

  • Send Tywanda to Arabia

    G-d bless and watch our woman who did such a great job.

    Tywanda should sent to Saudi Arabia (esp. since she claims to be Moslem), they have a lot of money there, let her pursue her criminal career among them, and get true justice when they catch her.

  • Chase email alerts...

    It’s a good thing she signed up for Chase email alerts every time her card is used! I did this now as well. Easy to do when you’re signed up on their website.

  • waste of time

    Unfortunately it is a “waste of time” at the end of this case there will be no jail time for thug , Thanks to Joe Hynes our senile District Attorney

  • GOOD JOB

    TAKING IT INTO YOUR OWN HANDS!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS AN AWESOME STORY THAT YOU CAUGHT THE WOMAN YOURSELF
    HOPE SHE ROTS IN JAIL