New York robbers are arrested after shocking manhunt; one of them left a debit card with his name on it
Two thieves who stole $9,000 in cash after a wild car chase on the Upper East Side have been caught thanks to a debit card left by one of the suspects in the Mercedes Benz they stole to carry out the crime on September 3.
Denis Piters, 29, of the Bronx, was arrested Wednesday and charged with robbery with a firearm, reckless endangerment and criminal possession of stolen property.
According to the criminal complaint, an investigator with the 19th Precinct said the cash application card that had Piters’ name on it was recovered from inside the Mercedes.
The robber has been unable to post $250,000 cash bail, and as of Saturday night, was on Rikers Island awaiting his court hearing.
Piters’ alleged accomplice, Cristian Santana, 32, was captured on September 21. He was released on $75,000 bail, according to court documents.
Both are accused of using the Mercedes to chase a man who was driving a Toyota RAV 4 around the Upper East Side in an attempt to steal money from him.
The chase that was caught on video included a period of driving the wrong way on Second Ave. near E. 91st St. Piters and Santana rammed the Mercedes into the Toyota.
One of the men got out of the vehicle and struck the victim’s windshield with his pistol, before stealing a bag of $9,000 in cash from her.
The robbers fled the scene and authorities found the Mercedes a few blocks from the scene, with the ATM card and other evidence, including fingerprints.
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