But she grew puzzled - frightened, even - when the police car turned off Front Street and rolled to a stop on a deserted stretch of Tusculum Street. The block is an urban wasteland, sandwiched between a teetering chain-link fence obscured by overgrown weeds and a graffiti-marred brick wall.
Garcia and DeJesus pulled over about 25 feet away and watched.
In the shadow of an abandoned factory, Sulpizio took Castro from the patrol car and rifled through his jeans' pockets, taking out cash. Castro was carrying $500 in pay from the scrapyard where he worked.
Garcia and her boyfriend said they saw Sulpizio stuff the bills into his right back pocket. Sulpizio then uncuffed Castro and told him that he was free to go.
"Stop! You got my money!" Castro said he yelled after Sulpizio as he walked to his police cruiser that April 16 night.
Garcia dialed 9-1-1.
It wasn't the first time that Sulpizio, a narcotics officer with Strike Force North, had been accused of theft. He'd been taken off the street twice since 2008 for allegedly stealing money from people he detained but never arrested.
At least two high-ranking narcotics supervisors have repeatedly contacted the Internal Affairs Bureau - in memos and phone calls - to voice concern that Sulpizio might be a thief.
Next month, Sulpizio is scheduled to go before the Police Board of Inquiry to explain why he took Castro to Front and Tusculum and failed to radio in his whereabouts.
Yesterday, Commissioner Charles Ramsey removed Sulpizio from street duty for a third time after the Daily News asked Sulpizio's superiors for comment.
"I benched him," said Ramsey, who added that the department had taken Sulpizio's gun from him.
