An Uber driver stole $5,000 worth of jewelry left behind in his car by an Orthodox Jewish man — who couldn’t report the theft for days because it took place just before sundown on Passover, cops said.
The victim forgot the jewelry bag in the Uber car on April 3 but waited until after the holy day on the morning of April 6 to report the incident, according to JP Updates, which first reported the story.
By that time, driver Juan Morales, 51, had already sold the items — including a bracelet and pin worth $2,500 apiece — to a pawn shop, police sources said.
According to an Uber spokesman, the company did not receive a complaint about the incident, but the driver was removed from service.
“Immediately upon learning what happened, the driver was removed from the platform,” said Lane Kasselman, Uber head of communications for North America. “This is an unfortunate incident and we are gratified that the authorities were able to quickly apprehend the suspect. We stand ready to assist them in any investigation.”
Morales was charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, cops said.