NEW YORK (PIX11) \u2014 A 51-year-old man who was arrested for allegedly stealing incense at a Manhattan CVS died while in police custody on Sunday, officials said.<\/p>\n
Vincent Thoms suffered a medical emergency while he was waiting to be arraigned on shoplifting charges in Manhattan Criminal Court at 100 Centre St., according to police and court records.<\/p>\n
Get ongoing crime and safety coverage on our homepage <\/a><\/p>\n Medics rushed Thoms, a Manhattan native, to the hospital at around 6:45 p.m., but he could not be saved, according to the NYPD.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are\u00a0heartbroken\u00a0to learn of the death of Vincent Thoms, who died yesterday in NYPD custody while waiting to be arraigned on allegations he stole incense from a CVS \u2014 a low-level shoplifting charge. He spent his final moments languishing in a jail cell,\u201d the Legal Aid Society said in a statement.<\/p>\n Thoms was charged with petit larceny and criminal possession of stolen property for allegedly shoplifting at a Manhattan CVS on Sunday, according to court records.<\/p>\n The cause of death is unknown. The NYPD\u2019s Force Investigation Division is handling the case.<\/p>\n Officials said nine people died in police custody last year. These deaths are being probed by the New York City Department of Investigation.<\/p>\n Mira Wassef is an award-winning reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She joined the PIX11 News digital team in 2022. See more of her work here.<\/a> <\/p>\n Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.<\/p>\n