A teenager who was wanted in connection to a burglary at St. John’s University last month turned himself in at the 107th Precinct in Fresh Meadows on Tuesday.
He was booked on burglary and criminal trespass charges for breaking into the office of SJU head basketball coach Rick Pitino during the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 20.
The 17-year-old, who was not identified because he is a juvenile, allegedly stole sports memorabilia and bottles of liquor from Pitino’s office at Carnesecca Arena on the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 20.
The teen worked in concert with 25-year-old Emanuel Yakubov, who was arrested three days after the heist and arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on Aug. 24 on a complaint charging him with burglary, petit larceny and criminal possession of stolen property for stealing bottles of booze and sports memorabilia, including an autographed basketball, a ceremonial dagger in a scabbard, a Mardi Gras mask and a mini-bullhorn, which are estimated to be worth around $400, from Pitino’s office, police said. Yakubov lives in a city-run shelter in the Vue Hotel on 22nd Street near the Queensbridge Houses.
The teenager is reportedly a neighbor of Yakubov, but an NYPD spokeswoman would not confirm this because he is a minor.
Surveillance video shows the juvenile walking through a hallway at Carnesecca Arena, holding the mini bullhorn while speaking on a cell phone. Yakubov is seen walking alongside the teen, holding the ceremonial dagger. They were also seen on video surveillance loading the stolen liquor bottles onto a moped in a parking garage before riding away eastbound on Union Turnpike, police said.
Detectives, acting on a tip to Crime Stoppers, executed a search warrant on Friday, Aug. 23, at the shelter in the Vue Hotel and recovered many of the stolen items, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation. Yakubov was taken into custody and later told investigators that they had found the keys to Pitino’s office under a desk in the Athletic Department and had entered his office.
“St. John’s University is grateful for the rapid response made by the NYPD and the recovery of stolen property,” said University Spokesman Brian Browne. “The safety and security of our campus community are essential, and our cooperative relationship with law enforcement helps ensure that.”
