Cops have linked a pair of recent robberies — one in Richmond Hill and one in Jamaica — to a citywide robbery pattern that includes four other locations across Queens and Brooklyn over the last month.
All of the locations targeted by the suspect — described as a black male, approximately 35 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall, with black hair — have been cellphone stores, police have reported. In each incident the suspect entered the location, brandished a firearm and demanded cash from an employee or forcefully removed cash from the register before fleeing the stores.
According to police, the robber entered the Metro PCS store located at 135-02 Jamaica Ave. in Richmond Hill, within the confines of the 102nd Precinct, on Thursday, July 21, at 2:33 p.m., where he displayed a firearm and demanded cash while wearing a mask to conceal his face. After placing the cash in a plastic bag, the robber fled the scene heading eastbound on Jamaica Avenue.
And on Saturday, Aug. 6, at 6:19 p.m., the suspect targeted the Boost Mobile store located at 153-23 Hillside Ave. in Jamaica, within the confines of the 107th Precinct, where he displayed a black and tan firearm and demanded cash, cops said. He then fled the scene fled the scene eastbound on Hillside Avenue with the cash.
According to officers, the suspect’s other targets in this pattern include:
- the Metro PCS store located at 3358 Fulton St. in Brooklyn;
- the Boost Mobile store located at 9321 Church Ave. in East Flatbush;
- the Metro PCS store located at 8815 Flatlands Ave. in Canarsie; and
- the Boost Mobile store located at 416 New Lots Ave. in East New York.
Surveillance videos of the two most recent incidents can been seen here:
Anyone with information in regards to these incidents is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS or for Spanish 888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website, or texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
