"He's at the other end of the hallway from the door, just stuffing a bag. Stuffing either the bag he wore or his pockets," Kaplan explained She said the burglary happened in the middle of the day on Monday on University Place, where she's lived for the past 35 years.
The burglar got into the building easily, making his way down from the upper floors and searching for an easy grab, but he didn't expect a confrontation with Linda.
"So he grabbed my shoulders, pushed me to the ground and tried to get around me. I held onto him. I wanted my jewelry really badly," she explained.
But he got away. She says she lost at least 50-thousand dollars worth of jewelry, including a tourmaline and diamond ring that match a bracelet and a gold Bulgari ring.
She described the suspect as a black male, at least 6 feet tall, bald with an athletic build. He was wearing a black suit, a white shirt, and possibly a tie. She says he was well-spoken and that, at first, he claimed to be with the fire department, but then he raced off down the stairs.
There are no cameras inside or outside the building. It wasn't until after the robbery that management installed a metal plate to make it harder for people to get in.
The building superintendant said it had been 25 years since anyone broke into the building.
If residents had grown to be trusting, they aren't now.
Linda Kaplan is promising a reward to anyone who can bring back her precious jewels.
NEW YORK AND TRI-STATE AREA NEWS
USEFUL LINKS: