The victim notified police of the theft around 7 a.m. The wallet was taken as it sat in a bin used for screening items, the victim said.
Port Authority police obtained a description of the man and determined he was a carpenter doing work at the airport and had a gate pass, which allowed him to move freely around the facility, police said. Police also learned he was working on the renovation of a Starbucks in a terminal corridor, Pentangelo said.
The suspect, Steven Testa, 38, was arrested and found with $850 of the victim’s cash stashed in Testa’s boot, police said. The rest was in Testa’s pocket, police said.