Pink-haired thief with 14 arrests busted for robbing boy, 7, and slapping his mom in NYC — then cut loose again

A woman with 14 prior arrests was busted again for robbing a 7-year-old boy and slapping the kid’s mom inside a Bronx bodega last week — then promptly cut loose without bail, cops and sources said.

Monique Fort, 48, was busted on Oct. 16 — about three weeks after she ripped about $4 out of the child’s hand and walloped his mom inside Richard’s Fruit and Vegetables on Jerome Avenue in Mount Eden on Sept. 24, cops said.

But Fort — who was seen on surveillance footage of the attack donning a pink wig — was granted supervised release by Judge Margaret W. Martin a day after her arrest, despite a district attorney’s office requesting the serial perp be held on $100,000 cash bail, $300,000 bond, or $300,000 partially secured bond.

The circumstances surrounding the release were not immediately known.

Monique Fort, 48, is accused of ripping the wad of small bills out of the boy’s hand and slapping his mom when confronted, cops said. NYPD

Fort was facing charges of robbery, assault, grand larceny, petit larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, endangering the welfare of a child and harassment, according to cops and a criminal complaint.

Surveillance video of the shocking bodega robbery showed Fort poking her head in the door of the small market and accosting the boy, who was holding the cash in his hand.

She snatched the money and turned to leave but walked into the boy’s 38-year-old mother – who tried to stop her while pushing another young child in a stroller, the video showed.

The bullying mugger then smacked the mom in the face and took off.

The startling encounter left the boy “crying, upset and shaking,” and his mom suffering “substantial pain, redness, soreness, and bruising” on her arm and chest, according to the complaint.

The attack left the boy “crying, upset and shaking,” the complaint states. NYPD

Fort appeared to be hiding in plain sight for weeks after the attack, employees at the bodega previously told The Post.

Erick Vidals — co-owner of the shop — said last week he recognized the suspect from the neighborhood and that despite the theft and assault, she was still lingering around.

He said he even called the police about one sighting of her, sans wig, but they came too late, he said.

“She’s still walking around here. I saw her like two days ago,” a female worker added. “She ran away [after the attack], but I live in the neighborhood, and I saw her walking around [again].”

Fort was granted supervised release during her Bronx Criminal Court arraignment. Tomas E. Gaston

Fort’s most recent arrest on her lengthy rap sheet, also in the Bronx, was on Sept. 26 for criminal mischief, cops said.

Her last assault arrest was on March 17, 2021, in Brooklyn, authorities said.

Other prior busts have been for robbery, reckless endangerment, prostitution and loitering, police said.

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