By Gina Martinez
Police were searching for a man suspected of multiple purse snatching incidents in northeast Queens.
Authorities said that over the last four months, a black man between the ages of 20 and 30 who is about 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds has been forcibly removing women’s purses and fleeing in a getaway car driven by an unknown person.
According to police, the first incident took place Dec. 16 at 8:45 p.m. near Oak Avenue and Parsons Boulevard. Authorities said a 46-year-old woman was walking home when the suspect approached her from behind, grabbed her by the neck and forcibly removed her purse — which contained the victim’s wallet and cellphone — from her arm. The suspect then fled in a waiting white sedan driven by another person and fled eastbound on Oak Avenue, the NYPD said. According to police, the victim was uninjured and refused medical attention at the scene.
Police said the second incident took place Dec. 21 at 6:50 p.m. near Burling Street and Oak Avenue. Authorities said a 26-year-old woman was walking home when the suspect approached her from behind and forcibly removed her purse from her arm. Police said the suspect fled on foot with the purse containing the victim’s wallet and personal effects. The victim was uninjured and refused medical attention at the scene.
Four similar mugging incidents followed with the women left uninjured as the suspect drove away in a white sedan.
The third incident took place Jan. 11, at 11:30 p.m. near New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital and 150th Street as a 39-year-old woman was walking home, police said.
A fourth incident occurred Jan. 23 at about 4:50 p.m. near the hospital and 150th Street as a 44-year-old woman was walking home, according to authorities.
Police said the fifth incident took place Jan. 25 at 6:20 p.m. near Manor Road and Martling Avenue as a 56-year-old woman was walking home.
Authorities said the sixth incident occurred Feb. 15, at 6 p.m. near 181st Street and Union Turnpike when a 50-year-old woman was walking home.
The final incident, according to authorities, took place March 5, at 4:45 p.m. near 41st Avenue and College Point Boulevard and involved a 59-year-old woman who was walking home. But in this case, when the suspect removed the purse from her arm, she fell to the ground. She sustained minor cuts and bruising, police said, and was taken to New York-Presbyterian Queens for treatment of non-threatening injuries.
Officials said the suspect was last seen wearing gray baseball cap, black hoodie, red jacket and black pants.
Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477)
Reach Gina Martinez by e-mail at gmart
