A determined robbery victim bent on retrieving his stolen property risked life and limb to chase a thief through city streets and subway tunnels last week in Greenwich Village, authorities said.
The 52-year-old victim was standing near the corner of Sixth Avenue and West Fourth Street around 7:30 a.m. Feb. 9 when career criminal Jeff Hamm, 54, snatched $94 in cash and a cheap Bic lighter from his hand and made a run for it, cops said.
The tenacious man then chased Hamm approximately five blocks to the 1 train station at West Houston and Varick streets where he unsuccessfully attempted to disappear.
Realizing that the victim wasn’t about to give up so easily, Hamm jumped down onto the tracks and ran northbound through the subway tunnel to escape, but the man remained hot on his heels.
During the madcap chase, Hamm attempted to give back the money by peeling off bills from the stolen wad and throwing them at the man before arriving at the Christopher Street station, where stunned commuters watched as the two men struggled to climb onto the platform.
The dumbstruck thief then raced up to street level where he tried to hail a cab before being stopped by the victim, who held Hamm until police arrived.
Hamm, who police sources said has been arrested more than 60 times since 1983, was charged with robbery, criminal possession of stolen property and trespassing. He was also slapped with drug charges after cops found marijuana and cocaine possession.