A career criminal who preyed on unsuspecting tourists at JFK Airport has been nabbed by eagle-eyed cops, Port Authority sources said today.
Frederick McDonald, 46, was wanted for at least six robberies, which netted him a total haul worth around $8,000, authorities said.
McDonald first snatched an unsuspecting man’s cart as the victim paused to snap photos outside a terminal around 1:10 p.m. Sept. 22, 2011, authorities said. The thief made off with $4,000 and the victim’s lap top, court papers show.
McDonald allegedly struck five other times, targeting distracted airport visitors, before he was finally busted.
During his last known robbery, Feb. 27, he grabbed an unsuspecting traveler’s backpack containing a $2,500 laptop near a check-in counter around 5:45 p.m., records show.
“He used people who were distracted to make his job very easy,” said Port Authority spokesman Al Della Fave.
The suspect was about to board a bus in Jamaica on March 2 when Port Authority cops recognized him from surveillance video and arrested him for grand larceny, authorities said.