(Photo: DCPI)
Aug. 9, 2018 By Tara Law
Police are searching for a violent machete-carrying mugger who has targeted Astoria women in their 20s over the last two weeks.
Police released a photo and video of the man who they say attacked five women between July 28 and Sunday. Each attack took place between 29th and 43rd Street after 11 p.m., police say.
The suspect first attacked a woman, 27, at 11:30 p.m. on July 28 in front of 34-19 33rd St. He showed her a knife and took $120 out of her purse.
He then approached a 23-year-old woman on July 29 at 11:05 p.m. near 30-62 36 St. He lifted up his shirt to show her that he had a large knife and took $60 cash from her.
Next, the suspect went after a 21-year-old woman on July 31 at 4:30 a.m. on the corner of 43rd Street and 31st Avenue. He choked her and grabbed her wallet, which contained credit cards and $30 in cash. The victim walked to New York Presbyterian Hospital of Queens, where she was treated for cuts and scrapes.
The suspect struck again on Aug. 3 at 12:52 a.m. He walked up to a woman, 29, who was walking into her home near 43rd Street and 34th Avenue. The suspect pushed her into her building’s lobby and tried to pull her bag away, but took off without managing to take it.
The suspect then attacked a 28-year-old woman from behind on Aug. 5 at 12:43 a.m. in front of 34-35 29th St. He put the victim into a chokehold and grabbed her purse, which contained credit cards, and fled the scene.
The suspect is described as black, 6-feet tall, thin and in his early 20s. He was last seen wearing red sneakers and an “I Love New York” t-shirt. He was wearing a surgical mask in the most recent incident, police say.
Anyone with information in regards to these incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
