Four Pinched For Stickup Of Ozone Park Store
Shortly after allegedly holding up a cell phone store in Ozone Park at gunpoint, four suspected bandits were busted by police in the alleged getaway vehicle during a search last Friday night, June 7, it was reported.
Law enforcement sources identified the suspects as Rosedale’s Tevin Griffith, 21, of 148th Drive, and Brooklyn residents Reon Adams, 22, of Linden Boulevard; Kyle Balkisson, 18, of East 29th Street; and Akeem Honroe, 15, of New York Avenue.
Reportedly, the stickup took place at around 7:30 p.m. last Friday night at the T-Mobile store located at 97-05 Rockaway Blvd.
According to information obtained by police, three of the suspects- two of which wore bandanas over their faces-entered the location and displayed weapons. They reportedly confronted two customers and a store clerk and ordered all of them to enter a back room.
Upon arriving in the rear of the store, police said, the bandits confronted a second store employee. Reportedly, the perpetrators ordered the two workers to open a safe.
Once the employees complied with their request, authorities said, the crooks removed a cash register tray full of currency from the safe, as well as a number of cell phones in the storage area.
The three suspects reportedly locked the store employees and customers in the rear room, then exited from the location. Based on information obtained by an eyewitness, the alleged bandits entered a nearby silver minivan with out-of-state plates-where a fourth individual was waiting-which then sped from the scene.
Officers from the 106th Precinct responded to the location after receiving a 911 call about the robbery. None of the victims were reportedly injured.
After obtaining information about the suspects and their getaway vehicle, police said, a description was dispatched to other units as they conducted a search of the surrounding area.
During the canvass, law enforcement sources noted, Det. Orin Cox and P.O. Iballys Starling-who are assigned to the 106th Precinct’s Domestic Violence Unit-spotted the silver minivan at the corner of 79th Street and Linden Boulevard and stopped the vehicle without further incident.
The officers reportedly questioned the four individuals in the van-Adams, Balkisson, Griffith and Honroe-and took them into custody.
Police said that the stolen cash and a .25-cal. handgun were found inside of the minivan.
All four suspects were charged with multiple counts of robbery and criminal possession of a weapon.
