Police from the 109th Precinct in Flushing are on the lookout for a mugger who targeted two women within a minute at the same Murray Hill location in broad daylight on Sunday, Sept. 3.
Police say the man first struck at 10:45 a.m. near the intersection of Linden Place and 35th Avenue, a block away from Northern Boulevard, when he approached a 62-year-old woman and pushed her to the ground. He then forcibly removed her wallet, which contained $100 in cash, before fleeing the scene, traveling eastbound on 35th Avenue. The victim did not sustain any injuries and refused medical attention, police said.
Moments later, the mugger returned to the same intersection and approached a 65-year-old woman who was pushed to the ground, police said. The suspect tried to wrestle away her purse, but the victim thwarted him and he ran off southbound on Leavitt Street toward Northern Boulevard. The victim sustained minor injuries and refused medical attention at the crime scene.
The NYPD, on Sept. 12, released surveillance images of the suspect that show him riding on board an MTA bus.
He has a medium complexion with facial hair and a slim build. Police believe he is between 30 to 40 years old a approximately 6 feet tall. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.
Through Sept. 3, the 109th Precinct has tallied 222 robberies so far in 2023, 27 more than the 195 cases reported at the same time last year, an increase of 13.8%, according to the most recent CompStat report.
