Sep 22, 2007 5:53 pm US/Eastern
S.I. Ninja Bandit Strikes Again, 16th Time
Police Say Suspect Responsible For 16 Break-Ins In 4-Months
STATEN ISLAND (CBS/AP) ―
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A burglar dressed as a ninja is believed to have broken into 16 homes on Staten Island.
CBS
It sounds like a kung fu movie sequel: "Return of the Ninja Bandit." On Staten Island, it's the real-life ramblings of a house burglar who may have struck for the 16th time in four months.
A Staten Island woman heading to bed Friday night encountered a masked intruder on the stairs leading up to her bedroom, with the suspect—dressed all in black, with a matching ski mask—fleeing the scene after the run-in, police said Saturday.
The intruder escaped with an undetermined amount of property from the home after the 10:30 p.m. incident, and police linked the crime to 15 previous house robberies on Staten Island since June 6.
The so-called "Ninja Bandit" has slipped into the homes via skylights, windows and front doors, making off with cash, jewelry and a cell phone, police said. On five previous occasions, the bandit was confronted by a homeowner but managed to escape the scene, police said.
The Friday night incident occurred at the home of John and Mary Ann Carlo, who walked into the bandit while her husband was sleeping in an upstairs bedroom. "I started screaming, "The Ninja is here! The Ninja!" Mrs. Carlo told the Staten Island Advance.
Although police flooded the area around their Flagg Place home after a 911 call from the couple, the suspect—avoided arrest, authorities said.
While police said none of the homeowners in the robberies were seriously injured, Staten Island homeowner Phil Chiolo claimed that he stabbed the mask-wearing bandit with a steak knife during a Sept. 6 scuffle in his kitchen.
Chiolo said the suspect, who fled the house with the knife handle sticking out of his chest, was wielding a set of nunchucks during the fight. Police said the bandit entered Chiolo's home through its front door shortly before the 1 a.m. fight.
The incidents have occurred in the Todt Hill, Grymes Hill and Grasmere sections of Staten Island. Most occurred between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m., although the "Ninja Bandit" has also struck several times during business hours, police said.
Police distributed fliers giving the suspect's description, saying they believe it's the same burglar responsible for each break-in.
Police describe the suspect as six-foot-three, wearing black, and possibly carrying a tool bag.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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