‘Clyde’ Grandmother Points To a Troubled Childhood
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The grandmother of the man alleged to have masterminded the “Bonnie and Clyde” penthouse burglaries in Manhattan said yesterday that her grandson is a career criminal who was disowned by his family.
Robert Nestigen, the alleged co-conspirator in 25 burglaries in wealthy Manhattan neighborhoods, was adopted by a Colorado family when he was 11 and lived a childhood marred by arrests and family disputes, his estranged grandmother, Maria Nestigen, said.
“He ruined my son,” Mrs. Nestigen said. “He stole everything he could get his hands on. … Robert broke up my son’s marriage.”
Nestigen moved to New York several months ago, finding shelter at the Hotel Chelsea, which has long been known as a haven for artists and vagabonds.
While there, he and his girlfriend, Melissa Zehr, used crack cocaine and marijuana that was purchased with the proceeds from more than $300,000 worth of luxury jewelry they stole from wealthy New Yorkers, police sources said.
A receptionist at the Chelsea Hotel, who did not identify himself, could not confirm if Nestigen and Ms. Zehr had stayed at the hotel. He said the hotel doesn’t keep a record of guests’ names.
Nestigen’s run-ins with the law date back to high school, Mrs. Nestigen said. As a teenager, he stole cars and trucks in Colorado Springs, where he lived with her son, Wallace Nestigen, she said.
Police records show that Nestigen was arrested several times in Savannah, Ga., which is where he told police he lived before moving to New York. He was also convicted of a felony charge in Colorado, police said.
Mrs. Nestigen said her estranged grandson was abused before her son adopted him.
“We had him in therapy,” she said. “They said sorry, but you can’t reach him.”
In order to gain access to the penthouses they burglarized, “Bonnie and Clyde” likely scaled fire escapes.
Nestigen recently called his father, asking for money, Mrs. Nestigen said.
“He told him that if he had any money, he would send it to him to stay away,” she said.
Nestigen’s lawyer declined to comment for this article.
