By Bill Parry
The NYPD was looking for several men who are believed to be involved in nearly a dozen burglaries across a swath of north-central Queens in the past two months.
In the first incident, Jan. 28, police said an individual forced open a rear window to get inside a home near 24th Avenue and 97th Street in East Elmhurst around 5:30 p.m. The suspect made off with nearly $5,000 in cash, according to police.
Two nights later, unidentified individuals forced open the front door of a home in the vicinity of 52nd Drive and 74th Street in Maspeth where they removed jewelry belonging to a 27-year-old woman, police said.
The third incident occurred the night of Feb. 2 at a home near 24th Avenue and 99th Street where individuals forced open a rear window on the second floor and removed a 46-year-old woman’s jewelry and nearly $1,000 in cash, police said.
After a six day lull, the burglars went back to work, hitting a home near 97th Street and Northern Boulevard in Corona Feb. 9, but police say they were unsuccessful.
The next night, the burglars returned to Corona where they forced open a second floor window of a home near 101st Street and 32nd Avenue, according to authorities. This time they came away with a 28-year-old woman’s backpack, credit cards and $4,000 in cash, then they hit a second home nearby stealing a 28-year-old-man’s jewelry, a laptop and $8,200 in cash, police said.
Then came a string of break-ins in Maspeth, beginning with a big score Feb. 10.
The individuals gained entry to a residence near Borden and Perry avenues, police said. A 28-year-old woman discovered her front door had been forced open and two suspects had removed jewelry, clothing, her passport and nearly $28,000 in cash, according to the NYPD.
Two nights later, they broke into a home near 69th Street and 52nd Avenue through a basement, but came away empty handed so the suspects moved on to another home belonging to a 59-year-old woman near 52nd Avenue and Calamus Avenue, where they forced open a second floor window, police said. The individuals were forced to flee empty handed when they tripped an audible alarm, according to authorities.
The 10th incident in the burglary spree occurred later that night at a home near 67th Street and 50th Avenue in Woodside, where two suspects forced open a rear window and removed a 62-year-old man’s jewelry and $300 in cash, according to the NYPD.
The men were each wearing dark colored clothing with masks over their faces and each had backpacks, police said.
Anyone with information in asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
