Elderly "Pickpocket Terrorist" Arrested Again

A 76-year-old ex-con who's been arrested some 37 times over the past three decades is behind bars again after being caught in a sting operation at the Upper West Side Fairway on Broadway. Responding to complaints about pickpockets working the aisles, undercover cops left a wallet in a shopping cart and arrested the woman after she allegedly stuffed it into her bra, sources tell the Post. The suspect, who goes by many aliases—the most current being Katherine Kelly—most recently did a year at Rikers after being caught thieving while on parole.

"She was a pickpocket terrorist and had to be caught," an NYPD source declares. The Post spoke with her occasional partner in crime, 71-year-old Richard Schiulaz, who got busted with Kelly during a 2006 C-Town job. He says, "She's like a damn gypsy. You never know where she's going next...But she's a 76-year-old woman who can hardly walk—her back hurts her so bad. How could this woman knock off 25 stores—that's impossible. What's her secret? I'd like to know."

In 2004, the Daily News covered Kelly's exploits with Schiulaz, when she was reportedly 69 and going by the name Charlotte Martinelli. The two were arrested after a failed hair salon caper on Long Island, which involved "Martinelli" entering the salon in clown makeup and asking to use the bathroom. Instead, she tried (and failed) to grab $2,000 in cash from the office while Schiulaz called 911 to report a bogus robbery across the street and divert cops. An emergency truck answering the false call struck a car at an intersection, injuring a middle-aged couple. Angelica Huston and Gary Busey can expect calls from Hollywood producers by the end of the day.

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By John Del Signore in News on October 21, 2008 9:53 AM

Comments [rss]

Shannon100

Hats off to the NYPD for catching a dangerous "terrorist". Come on guys we all know that anybody that defies the "system" or Corporate America is a terrorist. As we speak marijuana dealers, prostitutes on craigslist, illegal gamblers, shoplifters and pickpockets are funding Al Queda. Yeah right they would love for us to believe that hogwash. This women is a petty thief that's all nothing more, nothing less who happened to get caught for a bunch of low-level petty scams and thievery. Put a ankle bracelet on her and confine her to a nursing home for a year or so. To indict her and try to send her to send her to state prison for picking up a wallet (with a credit card purposely put in it to make a felony charge) left in a shopping cart is bit over the top. To call her a terroist is a not only an injustice and insult to her but is a slap in the face to all the people who died in Iraq and on 9/11 this police spokesman who called this old lady with sticky fingers a terrorist should be suspended for his lousy choice of words.

Eriiique

I don't understand how "pick-pocketing terrorist" even makes sense..

Is this elderly kleptomaniac terrorizing citizens?

Terrorism is defined as:

1. the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, esp. for political purposes.
2. the state of fear and submission produced by terrorism or terrorization.
3. a terroristic method of governing or of resisting a government.

Yes, it is great that she was caught for the 37th time.. But I don't believe that this lady was striking fear and threatening violence to the shoppers in the supermarket. Terrorist is not the correct title.

Scout1

@fwlix, @rob, et al:

So the NYPD should not arrest this person? What does shooting someone 41 times have to do with this at all? Do you think there are NO well-intentioned people in the NYPD? And even if you do think that, EVERYTHING they do is wrong? They arrested a serial pickpocket and you are complaining. I just don't get it.

HUGO_MEGO

Only a trendy idiot who doesn't belong in NYC refers to the Upper West Side as UWS. The same type of idiot who writes 'UWS' probably wears a LES t-shirt and thinks they are sooooo cool.

I guess it's just playing to your hipster audience (the Gothamist).

kapusta

obviously the word-as-a-noun "terrorist" has no definition or meaning. when the fascist authorities (aka:New York's Finest or "Pres." W (major league asshole) Bush say "war on terror" or"terrorist", their just farting from their mouths.

Mr Mel

Jen, you shouldn't shop in that nasty place?

Rob T Firefly

#10: Those European man-purse things are looking better and better.

longacre

#8: Let those stories be a life lesson for you...don't touch wallets!

ides_of_march

#1 My thoughts exactly. Let's save the word for the real thing.

Rob T Firefly

For those unfamiliar with the NYPD, they're the folks who plant fake lost wallets to entrap good samaritans, when they aren't busy shooting people 41 times for daring to brandish a wallet.

longacre

Why bother arresting her if she's a terrorist? Just have a Predator deliver a Hellfire missile through her window.

MrCow

you can get arrested for picking up a wallet in an abandoned shopping cart?!

RoDogg

So the NYPD (the biggest gang in the world) is calling someone a "terrorist". Again, this is coming from a gang that believes "shot and beat you up now, we'll consider you innocent later, maybe, after you recover in the hospital!" So shooting someone 50 times isn't terrorizing someone.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

terrorist? NYPD should look in the mirror

whitecastlerock

Does she know where Osama Bin Laden is?

Jen Chung

There is so much jostling at the checkout of the UWS Fairway, it's totally a pickpockets delight!

But, yeah, pickpocket terrorist is a bit strong, but maybe the NYPD source was just playing to his audience (the Post).