A shoplifter at a Duane Reade in Midtown pulled out a fistful of hypodermic needles and told employees he was HIV-positive after they confronted him Monday, cops said.
The man walked into the drug store at 949 Third Ave. around 2:30 p.m. and began stuffing merchandise into his jacket pockets, according to police.
Cops say he was confronted by store employees, and he then whipped out the needles and told them he had HIV.
The suspect fled the store on foot and ended up making off with about $180 worth of merchandise, police said.
Cops describe him as a man between 30 and 35 years old with a black beard. He is about 5-foot-11 and stocky, they said. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, blue jeans and work boots and carrying a white hard hat.
No one was injured, according to authorities.