Manhattan man arrested for string of drugstore thefts dies in New York custody, police say

On Friday, police said a man arrested for a string of drug thefts in Greenwich Village died while in custody at a Manhattan hospital.

Travis Durkin, 47, of East Village, died after being charged with multiple thefts at the same Duane Reade store on West 4th Street near Broadway, police said.

Durkin allegedly stole $1,683 worth of goods during three trips to the store on January 15 and 16. He returned on January 18 and tried to steal $40 worth of goods when the police took him into custody.

Police said Durkin was charged with two counts of illegal possession of stolen property, two counts of grand larceny and one count of petty theft.

While awaiting arraignment, Durkin was found unconscious in a holding cell in a Manhattan courthouse.

He was pronounced dead on Thursday, police said.

The NYPD Investigations Division investigated the death.

According to the source, Durkin has been arrested more than 40 times since 1998 on charges including drug possession, drug dealing and theft.

A spokesman for the city’s forensic medical examiner said the cause of Darkin’s death had not yet been determined.