UES ice cream shop owner chases robbery suspect through Manhattan
UPPER EAST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) -- The owner of a Manhattan ice cream shop took matters into her own hands Sunday when she chased a violent robbery suspect through the streets of Manhattan.
Several shops were robbed on the Upper East Side last week by the same suspect and Cortney Bond was not going to let him get away with it.
Bond owns UES, an ice cream shop speakeasy located on 2nd Avenue between 88th and 89th streets next door to JJ Brown Coffee Shop.
Both businesses have become so accustomed to theft the employees are trained to just allow it to happen in order to protect their safety.
"It was something I had to get my staff accustomed to, trained on," Bond said. "If they come in just let them steal, let them go."
Surveillance video from the coffee shop shows a man walk in and steal a tip jar on the counter.
The owner recognized him when he returned later and gave him some food, but he swiped the tip jar again.
Bond said that same man visited her ice cream shop on Saturday and got violent.
"This Saturday night this person, he came in he stole the tip jar, attempted to steal the tip jar and my host, Art stopped him and when he tried to stop him he punched Art," Bond said.
The next day Bond spotted the suspect and chased him through the neighborhood until police were able to arrest him in Harlem.
"He started to run and I started to chase," Bond said. "As I was chasing him I called 911. I explained what was happening I told them I wasn't going to let up. This guy he ran into traffic, he ran through the subways he was running all through the block trying to lose me."
Michael Nixon was arrested and charged with robbery. He has five prior arrests including robbery and grand larceny.
Bond said it's frustrating as a small business owner trying to make a living.
"You have staff and the last thing you want is to have them punched in the face on a shift," Bond said. "There's a lot of other things they need to be dealing with, but to be assaulted is not one of them."
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