Manhattan, NY – Brooklyn Orthodox Woman Tracks Down Pickpocketer, Nabs Thief Redhanded

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    Dina snapped this photo of the suspect Tywanda Deckard at Best BuyManhattan, NY – 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.

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    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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    47 Comments
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    11 years ago

    Great story!

    shredready
    shredready
    11 years ago

    Great job she has guts

    2tellthetruth
    2tellthetruth
    11 years ago

    Very nice that she caught the nasty thief. Well Done Dina. Tywanda Deckard, her name sounds like a black person’s name. Hardly a muslim name. She most likely said it to make Dina more infuriated.

    2tellthetruth
    2tellthetruth
    11 years ago

    DECKARD, TYWANDA 04129060N 11G0226 FEMALE 2/1/1962 BLACK BEACON-FEMALE 10/11/2011 MERIT TIME NOT GRANTD. Black not muslim.

    concerned_Jew
    concerned_Jew
    11 years ago

    Great job! I think they should hire her for Police Work. She would make a good detective. Excellent work Dina. Wow!

    hey_you_never_know
    hey_you_never_know
    11 years ago

    Wow! This woman is courageous…
    Not your typical scary cat and I’m sure she’s not affriad of mice either.

    Buchwalter
    Buchwalter
    11 years ago

    Happened to my wife and VISA has computer program which scans your account for unusual purchases and will call you for confirmation of purchase. Thief also a woman stole my wife’s credit card and within an hour accumulated 2,000 dollar worth of purchases

    11 years ago

    ‘I am Muslim, you are Jewish. You are all greedy, why can’t you just let it go?’”

    Apparently the fine readers of VIN never heard of a Black Muslim.

    11 years ago

    to #3 and #4 :
    One can be Muslim and black just as you can be Jewish and Black.

    11 years ago

    I commend Ms. Wohlhender for her bravery! I’m glad that she wasn’t harmed by the perpetrator, as some of these thieves, when cornered, will strike out. Regarding identity theft, I had one credit card in which thieves in India used my account number, to charge a number of purchases. However, the customer call center in India promptly called me, and validated those bogus charges, and issued a new credit card; they were very nice about the matter. However, I had another credit card (for almost 40 years), in which a bogus charge for some software was made in a former Soviet republic. When I called the bank to report that fraudulent charge, they treated me with contempt and suspicion, as if I was at fault, and appeared to be suspicious of my story. In any event, the charge was removed. However, I informed them, that I resented the way I was treated, and cancelled that credit card after forty years. These banks are going to have to learn, not to treat their customers like dogs, when something beyond our control, goes wrong!

    Yipyap
    Yipyap
    11 years ago

    A frum woman should not be taking such risks. Especially if she has youn g children at home.

    11 years ago

    Chase is the best, the alert system they have is incredible, you can set up your account to text you when a transaction takes place and it happens immediately, I had once the same story, I wasn’t lucky enough to find the perpetrator but I was able to stop my card immediately before raking up a bill. Good job.

    11 years ago

    Does nobody else notice that this thief has done this before and was released on parole. Identity theft can cause havoc to the person whose identity was stolen and all she got was a slap on the wrist! We should all be furious about this! Btw, great job Dina!!

    ALLAN
    ALLAN
    11 years ago

    I am very happy that Mrs. Wohlhendler wasn’t hurt during her encounter with this thief. The next question will be whether this anti semitic mamzer and repeat offender will be properly punished or will the legal system just fail us all again by giving her a minor slap on the wrist.

    Brian
    Brian
    11 years ago

    The famous joke is a woman had her credit card stolen yet the husband refused to report it because the thief was spending less than his wife!

    Just kidding and only humor intended. Certainly a random joke that I remembered from this article. No offense to this Dina woman.

    MayerAlter
    MayerAlter
    11 years ago

    I agree with the first sentence of # 15. She should have immediately called store security and let them deal with it.

    AriGold
    AriGold
    11 years ago

    Its a great story but people need to remember that criminals could be dangerous. This story could have had a very different ending. One where ch”v this young girl could have been hurt. Its not a smart idea to confront criminals.

    Babishka
    Member
    Babishka
    11 years ago

    While this makes for an exciting story, Chase should have put a hold on the card after the first suspicious transaction. What if the thief became violent?

    I have had several experiences where my CC# was stolen. Bank of America called right away and put a hold on the card. They will refund all transactions that are reported to their fraud department.

    Brian regarding your “famous joke” from 50 years ago, you are aware that today women manage their own credit card accounts and frequently make more money than their husbands?

    Boruch
    Boruch
    11 years ago

    Tywanda has 40 prior arrests starting 1982 when she was 20.
    She was incarcerated 7 times.

    PashutehYid
    PashutehYid
    11 years ago

    The business about being greedy. It’s ironic, but had she asked straight out for money because she needs help, instead of stealing, she my have gotten more from a Jew than she stole.

    curious
    curious
    11 years ago

    Yasher kochach!

    yaakov doe
    Member
    yaakov doe
    11 years ago

    In a Moslem country they would have cut off both her hands if she’s a repeat offender. The first cutting is a warning and the 2nd cutting is a real deterrent to theft.

    11 years ago

    We got a Women’s Hatzalah. Next up Women’s Shomrim! Led by Mrs. Wollhendler exciting times indeed!

    Butterfly
    Butterfly
    11 years ago

    Citi/Mastercard calls me to verify if it is my purchase!! I have received calls on my cell to verify that it is my purchase!! No problem!! Better to be safe than sorry!!

    formercrownheightser
    formercrownheightser
    11 years ago

    well done done, Dina! Go Girl!!

    BLONDI
    BLONDI
    11 years ago

    bravo dina. sadly, but i think she’ll be let out again soon and will rob again. btw. where did she get that louis vitton bag??? no person at the register cares that she doesnt look like a dina or that the signature doesnt match.

    11 years ago

    That Louis Vitton bag was bought on Canal St. Can’t you see it’s a ‘knock-off’?

    basmelech
    basmelech
    11 years ago

    I sign all my credit cards in the back with “photo ID required”, but, do you know what? Only one clerk ever asked me to show my photo Id! I think everyone should be required to show a photo ID with a credit card, the way things are going these days, and clerks should be trained to ask for it. Also those electronic credit card scanners that you are supposed to sign in some stores do not really record your signature properly, so A photo ID would definitely be in order.

    shredready
    shredready
    11 years ago

    Great job she has guts

    11 years ago

    Tywanda stole her wallet with money and credit cards and she asks Dina ” Why are you all so greedy?” Am I missing something here or is this the “entitlement” mentality until Romney wins the election on November 6th?

    Erlich
    Erlich
    11 years ago

    Eishet Chayil. Woman Of Valor.

    HaNavon
    HaNavon
    11 years ago

    Great story!

    kiri49
    kiri49
    11 years ago

    Why didn’t this STUPID theif use up the cash first? She might never have gotten caught!

    11 years ago

    According to the regulations of Mastercard and Visa, merchants are prohibited from asking for identification of the card holder. Yes, they should verify the signature, but a credit card holder can legally refuse to show any id; a merchant cannot refuse to process a transaction, because of someone refusing to show id. Walmart must have been apprised of these regulations, as it no longer routinely asks for photo id, whenever a credit card is presented.

    admin
    Admin
    Member
    11 years ago

    Someone can only be black or Muslim but not both.

    Sol-Sol
    Sol-Sol
    11 years ago

    “Never mess with a Wollhendler!!!!” Gr8 job Dina!!!

    Monseyer
    Monseyer
    11 years ago

    This self professed entitled Muslim could easily have been carrying a knife