By Alex Davidson
Police arrested a man last week who allegedly targeted Chinese food deliverymen and stole women’s purses, sometimes using a fake gun to intimidate and threaten his victims.
Officers from the Queens Robbery Squad arrested Patrick McDonnell, 29, of 77-28 250th St. in Bellerose Sept. 24, after an attempted robbery of a deliveryman at 88-55 115th St. in Richmond Hill, police said. Authorities alleged he left behind an imitation black gun, which has been confirmed to be an air gun, on the scene.
McDonnell was arraigned and charged with robbery in the first degree, the Queens district attorney’s office said. His next court date is scheduled for Oct. 9
According to court documents, McDonnell allegedly began his string of robberies in a parking lot on 71st Avenue and Harrow Street in Forest Hills Aug. 16. McDonnell told the victim, a woman who approached him in his car to offer him her parking spot, to give up her purse, the court papers said.
McDonnell then allegedly threatened the victim with a gun as she ran away from his car and then fled the scene, leaving behind the imitation handgun, according to depositions taken from the women who have accused him of robbing them.
Since then, McDonnell allegedly robbed Chinese food deliverymen as they made their deliveries, using the same type of black handgun to threaten his victims, the documents state. In the majority of robberies, McDonnell would follow the victim to a specific location, threaten them with the gun, and then demand money, according to the papers.
Investigators brought in five victims after the arrest who positively identified McDonnell as the robber in a police lineup, according to the court papers. Police said they also seized two vehicles McDonnell allegedly used in committing the robberies.
In a Sept. 8 incident, McDonnell allegedly targeted a McDonald’s at 98-01 Metropolitan Ave., where he threatened the drive-thru clerk from his car with a black handgun, demanding money be put into a bag, the depositions said. After motioning to shoot the clerk, who did not have the key for the cash register, McDonnell allegedly fled the scene, leaving again an imitation black handgun, according to the court papers.
Police confirmed the fake weapon was the same one used against the clerk and belonging to McDonnell.
Reach reporter Alex Davidson by email at TimesLedger@aol.com or by phone at 229-0300, Ext. 156
