I know it wouldn't be smart or anything but i would be so happy to learn that he never even left town and just changed his clothes and went about his day
it's probably up for debate, but I legit think that is the move. NYC is stupid dense, way too much shit going on day to day. traveling is paper trails unless you're on a bus, and even then there's digital trails and timetables etc. it creates a grid with logic to work through for investigators.
instead, I would think disappearing into a CCTV-devoid place with a thousand exits with tons of traffic in and out, changing clothes, dumping equipment, and exiting back into your routine ass life... that seems like an investigative nightmare. dumpsters full of garbage getting hauled away. after that, you're just some guy with a head shaped like 10 million other guys.
I've never committed a crime with nearly this serious a punishment but just acting like you normally do is such a good strategy for not getting caught. Plus changing clothes and hair etc of course
This makes a lot of sense. After watching many (USian, of course) police car chases on TV over the years, including those "wildest police chases" specials (I know, I know), I only once saw someone get away - they pulled up to the entrance of a crowded indoor shopping mall and ran in. I also heard about another similar escape where they pulled into a giant parking structure, probably also crowded. Much better chance of disappearing in a crowd than isolated.
They don't talk about the ones they lose. The way to run from the cops i have known to work is a) jam into a neighborhood. Park the car kill the lights and hope the cop passes you by and hide till you can sneak away. B) pull a crazy stunt and hop you make it and the cop doesn't. C) used to be you could run by the airport and that woudl mess up the police chopper flight. And give you time to escape the cars.
Those all mostly rely on luck. Bonus having a super fast motorcycle tends to work but will also likely kill you. I saw one where a guy had a super bright flashlight and blinded the cop. Really unless you are very lucky and fast you aren't gonna do it. Realistically you only have a few minutes till they get a helicopter on you then you are fucked. If it is in your car you are fucked cause you can't be faster than a radio and you would basically have to be an outlaw from that point.
I escaped the cops once after some bullshit vandalism. They were in a car, we saw them coming, we ran down an alley that was not passable by car, we got to the next street over, I flipped my jacket inside out and we split up and walked away. Nobody was caught. A lot lower stakes than this though.