By Gus Saltonstall
A woman suspected of stealing a purse Wednesday on the Upper West Side was chased down and arrested by a police officer on a horse, an NYPD spokesperson confirmed to West Side Rag and video shows.
Around 11 a.m., a woman allegedly snatched a purse from another woman in front of the Chase Bank near the corner of West 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue, police said. She fled the scene and was chased down and taken into custody by an officer, police added.
Video obtained and published by NBC New York shows that it was a police officer on a horse named Kelly who apprehended the woman.
View this post on Instagram
Felicia Field, 44, was arrested and charged with grand larceny and false personation, police said.
On Thursday, NYPD also released body cam footage from the officer mounted on the horse.
Whether on foot or on hooves, our officers are always ready.
After someone stole a purse near West 72nd Street, our Mounted officer & his horse, Kelly, kept on her trail.
Galloping down the street & with the help of a witness, they recovered the purse & apprehended the suspect. pic.twitter.com/A6qs7DyoK5
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) April 16, 2026
Subscribe to West Side Rag’s FREE email newsletter here. And you can Support the Rag here.
Ridiculous we still have cops on horseback, why not have them on foot patrol or on bikes?
THANK GOD WE STILL HAVE ANY COPS LEFT IN NYC! i’ll take them on horseback or bike — or in cars or helicopters — or boats — anyway i can have them. GOD BLESS THEM!
I believe we still do. Whatever works.
Because if they were on a bike you’d be complaining about that. This is the WSR way. You all complain about LITERALLY EVERYTHING
DanV, this is my favorite WSR comment of all time.
agreed. A bike would be much more nimble and no horse would have to be running in traffic risking harm
Speaking as a seasoned NYC cyclist – No, a cop on a bike is not nearly as nimble as that mounted police and probably more likely to risk harm to others and themselves.
on an 88 degree day, poor horse
“Ridiculous” says UWS Dad who is not a cop and obviously knows nothing about mounted units, horses or actual policing.
Absolutely. That way the perp would’ve had a fighting chance at getting away.
Actually the Mounted Units (yes there are more than one dispersed throughout the 5 boroughs) are a great asset of the NYPD. There presence and deterrent effect is noticeable and outstanding. The officer has the advantage of an elevated view. The unit is exceptionally effective in crowd control situations, although for some mysterious reason lately the NYPD does not seem to deploy them in that capacity. And of course there is the community relations aspect. Who doesn’t like seeing the unit leading parades or getting up close to talk to the officers and pet a horse?
Maybe the officers could learn how to lasso.
Having spoken with some of these guys over the years, and admired their horses, I completely agree. They are not only ceremonial, but real police units. The same for canine units.
https://www.amny.com/police-fire/a-behind-the-scenes-look-of-the-nypds-most-popular-unit/
It may be a bit antiquated but at least the horses get proper training and treatment. The real issue is Central Park carriages.
No, thats a FAKE issue, the carriage horses get the same care the police horses do, educate yourself VISIT the stable and see for yourself and stop watching faux news
Is there actually a news station which is complaining about the care of the Central Park carriage horses?
I haven’t seen any coverage of the Central Park Carriage horses in years.
By the way, I always thought the horses in the park were treated well.
Exactly. Well said. The police horses get excellent training, care and are equipped for their job. I love having working horses in the city but the carriage horses are a disgrace.
Thank you Mr. Ed
Time to reassess the new design for 72nd Street. 😄
Do you mean this one?
https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2026/04/14/east-side-west-side-mamdanis-dot-will-transform-72nd-street-with-protected-bike-lane-bus-improvements
Where will everyone double park on W72nd street? All the delivery trucks, TJ unloading, and all the yellow cabs by RSD?
I agree cops on horses are silly. Cops on regular bicycles would make sense. It is the easiest/ fastest way to get around on a mostly flat island.
Right. All the wasteful actions of trucks bringing you food, your wine, your shoes, you toys, you drugs, to the 100 or so stores and restaurants on that street. They have no business there and those stores and restaurants should convert to housing for the able bodied who can ride bikes.
And the taxis at RSD? You do know there’s a Mosque on that corner right?
Yes, I didn’t like it before, and I like it even less now. No lane for horses! 😉
If only J.L. could reorganize and run the NYPD, since he seems to know everything…
Great job by that cop. And the lady yelling at the cop should be ashamed of herself.
That lady does represent the UWS very well.
Agree. She sees a crime in progress and a fleeing criminal, and her reaction is to yell at the cop. Unbelievable.
I’ve often commented that if I were a millionaire and could do any job I wanted, I would want to be NYC police officer on horseback, because you get to go horseback riding all day in NYC. I’ve also mentioned that these cops never seem to be in harms’ way. Well, now I can’t say that anymore.
Kudos to that police officer. And that woman yelling at him that he was going to harm the horse? Seriously?
Yeah it must be a cushy gig. I’ve seen them in Central Park as well, looks wildly impractical but I’m sure its fun!
I’m glad the officer made the arrest but he wasn’t in harms way from the suspect who could barely manage to run at a light jog without falling down. I suppose a reckless driver could have hit him though.
Police put themselves at risk every day they don’t their uniform. You should show respect for them or please keep your snarky comments to yourself. I love seeing them on horseback and galloping down a street to apprehend a recidivist is brilliant. May the next one think twice!
You need to consider the concept of deterrence.
Police visibility = deterrence.
What is more visible than a cop on a horse?
I’m going to let you discover for yourself the additional reporting on who the woman is, what crimes she has previously served time for, whether or not she is still under arrest for this crime, etc.
But yeah, cushy cushy gig, never in harm’s way (well, except dealing with murderers and reckless drivers, apparently).
She was released on parole last year after serving 25 years for the robbery homicide of a cab driver in 2000
Please hold and charge her or she will be out doing it again tomorrow.
She was released without bail.
“I didn’t do nothing wrong” is on the greatest hits album.
This very same woman stopped me from going into Andy’s Deli around 10:30 a.m. yesterday, trying to get me to give her money. I managed to get past her into the deli and when I came out, she was gone. Absolutely the same person! Has anyone else seen her in the neighborhood?
Given that she’ll be released without bail I’m sure you’ll see her again soon!
According to the Post, she was indeed released after arraignment. She also has a prior conviction for murder in 2000 and was paroled last year.
https://nypost.com/2026/04/16/us-news/nypd-cop-on-horseback-chases-down-convicted-killer-turned-purse-snatcher-in-wild-uws-bust/
The fact that a convicted murderer was released after such an encounter is all the evidence you need to illustrate our legal system’s insanity. You’ll be seeing her again soon….for more heinous crimes. Disgraceful.
Don’t worry, she’ll be right back, if she isn’t already.
Her face is blurred in the video. How can you tell it’s the person you saw?
Because she was wearing the same socks and slippers on her feet and the big shower-cap type of bonnet on her head. I got a very good look at her.
She’ll be back. Non violent crime. Catch and release.
The horse was immediately placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into the possible excessive response by the NYPD relative to the alleged crime. The horse, however, will continue to receive its normal pay in the form of hay and a bag of oats each day. No carrots, though.
Good job. Now hold her.
Re: “charged with grand larceny and false personation…” What is “false personation”? (She seemed to pull off a wig during her run, does wearing a wig count as false personation?)
My guess is that presenting a false ID constitutes false personation.
I think she pulled off a large black cap that looks like an oversized rubber shower cap. She was wearing the same thing when I saw her 1/2 hour earlier.
Everything you want to know about the UWS is encapsulated by the female bystander and what she was yelling. We are so done.
https://nypost.com/2026/04/16/us-news/nypd-cop-on-horseback-chases-down-convicted-killer-turned-purse-snatcher-in-wild-uws-bust/
She’s a convicted killer with 14 prior arrests, way to go Alvin. . .
Not sure, but if she made parole, Alvin had nothing to do with it.
Great job by the cop and his horse 👌
Decisions about releasing from custody people who commit low-level crimes should consider those people’s history. We need more of a three strikes and you’re out approach to inveterate criminals. But in this case, I thought purse-snatching is a felony, esp. if the purse contains credit cards. And supposedly, bail can be set if the defendant has a particular criminal history. So why was this woman released without bail, as commentators on here say she was?
Purse snatching is not a “low-level” It is an assault on a person and therefore a felony. She should not have been released given her record. at a minimum she should be required to wear an ankle bracelet and restricted in her movements until trial. Also, why is her face blurred out? She was caught in the act of committing a felony and fleeing arrest. If her face was shown I wouldn’t be surprised if half a dozen other people recognized her committing crimes.
WOW…..I LOVE NEW YORK
That was awesome
Thank you, McCloud!
Loved that clueless woman yelling at the cop. “Stop riding in the street!” Lady, where would you suggest you ride a horse? Not even bikes are to be ridden on sidewalks. Oh, I guess you think they should remain in the parks? Silly rabbit!
Give credit where credit is due, mounted police officers are able to patrol in very effective ways that are impossible for regular police officers on foot. Being on horse back gives them a higher and larger perspective and the horse can move very fast. That was a great arrest and the officer conducted himself well. I tire of complaints without basis.
I don’t the the rag should be supporting X in this way. Give another way to watch the feed.
Great job Officer & Kelly the horse! Shout out also to the bystander who helped corral the purse snatcher.
The real story here is that Felicia Field, the offender, was released within 24 hours due to city bail laws and no apparent additional court date. I’m glad the person got their purse back but this is far from a success story of a mounted officer capturing a criminal. This person is on probation after killing a cab driver in 2000, and has had at least 3 incidents since being released on parole last year. How is it that the judge just dismisses this person to conduct the same acts just hours after this? How can we as citizens of the UWS and NYC act to prevent criminals being allowed to conduct this behavior?
It makes no sense that a judge could just release someone already on parole after multiple incidents. You would think they’d have conditions to their parole and would face repercussions for this type of behavior, but for some reason our city doesn’t prioritize safety or peace of mind of law abiding citizens.
Bail laws are state laws, not city laws, no? And AFAIK purse snatching is at least a class E felony. I don’t think this catch and release is a matter of our city government’s prioritizing. But maybe the culture and other factors from county to county within the state affect judges’ propensity to set bail or not? Anyway, I agree that it seems shocking on the face of it that Field was released after being charged with grand larceny, given her history.
God Bless the mounted police
I’m glad we’ve seen a photo of the perp so we can be on the lookout. I’m glad the neighborhood pushed hard to get more cameras placed to capture these kinds of things and assist our police in catching criminals. Also glad to see the LPO staff in drug stores and police cars camped out to deter shoplifting. It’s about time. This neighborhood offers a lot of resources to those in need, which is great. Stealing shouldn’t be one of them.
The perp has dozens of priors and is on “lifetime parole” for murder. And yet she’s on the streets attacking an elderly woman. That’s NYC justice for you.
Thank you Officer Kelly. I’m grateful to you for catching the thief and recovering the victim’s property. It was very fortunate you were in the area. We are all very lucky to have you serving the UWS community. If only arresting the thief resulted in making a difference in her behavior going forward but that’s likely asking for a miracle.
Love those horses!!
You can support the mounted police through tax-deductible donations to the New York City Police Foundation, which funds equipment, training, and community programs. The unit, a key part of the Special Operations Bureau, requires significant funding for its horses and facilities. And they make a cool calendar, too. https://www.nycpolicefoundation.org/donate/
Whatever works! Good job! Also to the person who helped stop the thief. Yee-haw!
Ahh – the image that immediately came to mind was of Hugh Jackman in “Kate & Leopold” from 2001, retrieving Meg Ryan’s briefcase. This not quite as entertaining, but it will do for today.
Marshal McCloud would be very impressed.
I didn’t see exactly how she ultimately got trapped and apprehended. However, I suspect she finally realized “what will happen if I get apprehended? Well, they will set me free and I can return to my normal activities.” She looks like she needs help and I hope she gets it. BUT, the way the justice system now operates, there seems to be little deterrence.
Saw policemen on roller blades in Amsterdam. Looked pretty nifty
Is anyone concerned that the women’s shelter on West 74th street has a metal detector just to walk in? Why is that?
Back in 2000 before Uber and Lyft a lot of livery drivers, who were also known as gypsy cab drivers, were being shot. During a ride, I asked a driver if he was afraid of being shot in the back of the head by a passenger. He said he already had been. True story.
Great job by that officer. The way he handled the horse was amazing. I want mounted police to be issued cowboy hats and lassos after viewing the video. A double holster with silver revolvers would be a cool look also.