Petty larceny is a serious offense because it’s a misdemeanor.
In New York State, if you go into a store or take an item that doesn’t belong to you and the value is small, it’s deemed petty larceny.
What elevates it to a grand larceny felony is the dollar amount or the value of the item.
It can be deemed a robbery if you physically take an item from someone’s person or threaten the use of a weapon or display the use of a weapon in the commission of larceny.
