Police are asking for the public’s assistance in locating a man who has committed five knifepoint robberies along Broadway in Astoria this month.
According to Captain Peter Fortune, the 114th Precinct commander, the suspect has been robbing commercial establishments from 29th Street to 21st Street. The robberies began on Feb. 16 and the two latest robberies occurred on Feb. 23.
Police are offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information regarding this pattern.
The suspect robbed Family Market on 29th Street along with a pizzeria and sporting goods store, Fortune said. He is described as a white male, about 20-years-old and last seen wearing a black cap with a white logo depicting the freemason symbol, black jacket, red hooded sweatshirt, dark blue jeans and gray boots.
He was also carrying a black backpack with a combination lock attached to it and covered his face with a black and gray scarf.
Fortune said he will be allocating more resources to the area and there will be a “constant presence” on Broadway. Officers will also plaster wanted pictures along that corridor and meet with owners of establishments to educate them about the incidents.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 then enter TIP577. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
