Harlem man dies in custody after shoplifting arrest, NYPD and court records say

A man died Sunday after he was transported from Manhattan Central Booking to a local hospital, an NYPD spokesperson said Monday.

Vincent Thoms, 51, was being held at 100 Centre St., which houses Manhattan Criminal Court, when police called for emergency medical workers around 6:45 p.m. Sunday, officials said.

The NYPD said Thoms was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A police spokesperson said the department’s Force Investigation Division is looking into the incident, and declined to provide further comment.

According to court records and a criminal complaint, Thoms was arrested Sunday after allegedly shoplifting. He was due to appear in court for that case on Monday.

Information for his lawyer was not yet available.

Last year, police notified the public of nine deaths at NYPD holding facilities. At least four of those deaths were for low-level offenses like drug possession and petit larceny, according to officials and records. After calls from lawmakers and advocates, the city’s Department of Investigation launched an inquiry into the deaths.

Police said Thoms lived in East Harlem.

This is a developing story based on preliminary information from police and may be updated.