By Courtney Dentch
About $100,000 of the $2.1 million in cash reported stolen in the Feb. 22 robbery of an armored truck at Kennedy Airport may have consisted of offerings given to the Greater Allen Cathedral at 110-31 Merrick Blvd. in Jamaica, the TimesLedger has learned.
A church staff member said the stolen funds included the money from the cathedral, but gave no additional details as to the exact amount lost or why the cash was in an armored truck at the airport.
Police reported last week a masked robber had pulled a handgun on the driver of a Dunbar Armored Air Cargo Service truck parked at a warehouse in the air cargo area just after 8 p.m. A Port Authority spokesman said the truck had just been loaded with more than $3 million for delivery to several area clients.
The gunman then hijacked the truck after forcing the driver out. He later ditched the vehicle at the intersection of 140th Street and 130th Avenue in South Jamaica, where it was found abandoned about 8:40 p.m., a Port Authority spokesman said.
Police said the robber fled on foot through several backyards toward the Van Wyck Expressway, where they believe he hopped into a getaway car.
Officers also said they believe the gunman left the remaining $1 million in the truck because he simply could not carry the remaining money, which consisted of smaller denomination bills.
The Dunbar company could not be reached for comment on the robbery.
