New York beggar goes on shopping spree after stealing his wallet

A beggar went on a shopping spree in Manhattan after punching a subway rider in the face and stealing his wallet last week – and collecting $750 on the victim’s credit cards, cops said.

The 37-year-old victim pulled out his wallet near the turnstile of the 42 Street-Bryant Park subway station last Wednesday when the perpetrator approached him begging for a dollar.

The suspect, still at large, grabbed the victim’s wallet, jumped over the turnstile and ran away.

The victim gave chase but was hit multiple times in the face by the perpetrator, police said.

The suspect began his shopping spree after fleeing on a southbound express train with the man’s wallet, which contained $81, his ID and bank cards.

An hour after the attack, the suspect was captured on surveillance video at a Journey’s store near Union Square using the victim’s stolen cards to buy $556 worth of clothes and shoes, police officers said.

The next day, the thief went to a Footlocker store on 34th Street, where he was caught on camera spending $158 on one of the stolen cards.

The NYPD has since released surveillance footage of the suspect in a bid to track him down.

Cops said the victim sustained a lacerated nose after the attack and was taken by ambulance to Bellevue Hospital for treatment.