The NYPD said Vincent Thoms, 51, of 1st Avenue in East Harlem had fallen ill while being processed at Central Booking on the night of March 22, located within the Manhattan Criminal Court building at 100 Centre St.
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An alleged shoplifter in Manhattan died on Sunday after suffering an apparent medical emergency while in custody, police announced on Monday afternoon.
The NYPD said Vincent Thoms, 51, of 1st Avenue in East Harlem had fallen ill while being processed at Central Booking on the night of March 22, located within the Manhattan Criminal Court building at 100 Centre St.
Sources close to the investigation told amNewYork on Monday that Thoms had been picked up by officers from the 28th Precinct for allegedly stealing incense sticks from a CVS store at 115 West 125th St. in Harlem. He arrived at Central Booking at about 11:50 a.m. Sunday.
Court records indicated he had been charged with petit larceny and criminal possession of stolen property.
While undergoing a medical evaluation, something which all arrested individuals at Central Booking undergo, Thoms suffered an unknown medical emergency, the sources said. Police called EMS and a team of paramedics responded.
EMS rushed Thoms to NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital, where hospital staff pronounced him dead.
The exact cause of his death is unknown at this time and under investigation. Police said the NYPD Force Investigation Division, which handles in-custody deaths, is now investigating the matter.
Court records noted that Thoms had four other criminal cases pending against him for arrests dating back to July 2025 on a litany of charges including assault, harassment, criminal mischief, and criminal possession of a controlled substance. He had been released without bail after each arrest.
In a statement, the Legal Aid Society noted that no fewer than nine New Yorkers had died in police custody last year. The organization called on the Mamdani administration, the City Council, prosecutors and lawmakers to adopt its 10-point plan to reduce in-custody deaths, including ensuring independent oversight and quick access to medical care.
“No one should lose their life while they are detained in NYPD custody,” the Legal Aid Society wrote.