Detectives continue to search for the tire iron-wielding bandit who robbed and assaulted a 77-year-old woman in the driveway of her Whitestone home on Friday morning, authorities said.
According to police, the robbery occurred at about 10:30 a.m. on April 15 in the vicinity of Cryders Lane and 157th Street.
Law enforcement sources said the victim pulled her vehicle into the driveway after shopping nearby when the suspect — described as a white male in his 50s standing 6 feet tall, weighing 190 pounds with short hair and a medium complexion — approached the driver’s side of her car.
Authorities stated that the man knocked on the window and asked the woman if she had seen his purportedly lost pet. Seconds later, he grabbed a wallet out of her hand, then smacked her in the face several times with a tire iron and fled the scene.
Officers from the 109th Precinct and EMS units responded to the incident. The victim was removed to North Shore Hospital in Manhasset for treatment of a laceration to her chin.
According to posts on the We Love Whitestone Facebook page, police are examining security camera footage from nearby homes in the hope of finding the robber. Residents also claim the suspect fled inside a vehicle with another suspect.
The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information regarding the robbery is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish speakers, dial 888-57-PISTA), visit their website or send a text message to 274637 (CRIMES), then enter TIP577. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
