The NYPD released a new surveillance image of one of the three men who allegedly robbed a Maspeth smoke shop at gunpoint in May.
The incident occurred in broad daylight just before 2:30 p.m on Saturday, May 14, when a gunman and his two accomplices entered the store at 64-25 Grand Ave.
The suspect in the photo that was released by the NYPD on July 18, acted as a lookout at the front of the shop while the other two approached an employee and displayed a firearm, police said. They then used zip ties to restrain the worker’s hands behind his back and grabbed approximately $1,800 from the cash register and nearly $6,500 in merchandise before running off northbound on Grand Avenue.
The NYPD released a surveillance video that shows one of the suspects cocking his handgun and menacing the employee as a second man scrambles over the counter and begins stuffing a bag with the merchandise. The smoke shop employee did not sustain any injuries as a result of the incident, police said.
The alleged gunman wore a black hooded jacket with black pants and the second man wore a black hooded jacket with a Nike swoosh logo. The third man, who acted as the lookout, wore a black jacket and a black wool hat, blue jeans and dark sneakers.
Anyone with information in regard to the identity of the suspects is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at nypdcrimestoppers.com, or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
