Police from the 105th Precinct in Queens Village are looking for three suspects who robbed a Laurelton convenience store at gunpoint on the night of Sunday, Dec. 3.
The three men walked into the 4 Star Deli & Grill at 218-30 Merrick Blvd. just before 10:30 p.m., pulled out silver handguns and demanded cash from a store employee, police said. The worker complied, handing over $1,500 in cash and the suspects proceeded to grab merchandise from the shelves before running off on foot on Merrick Boulevard in an unknown direction.
The gunmen stole $160 worth of tobacco products and $15 worth of candy, police said.
The NYPD released surveillance video that shows the three men entering the store.
Police say the suspects each have dark complexions and are in their 20s with slim builds.
One of the men was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with white Death Row Records logos written on the chest and across the back, gray jeans, brown boots and a red facemask.
The second suspect was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black sweatpants, white sneakers and a black facemask.
The third suspect wore a dark hooded sweatshirt, dark pants, multi-colored sneakers and a black facemask.
A reward of up to $3,500 is being offered for information that leads to their arrest. Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.
Back in June, 4 Star Deli & Grill was the site of a shooting after an argument between customers turned violent.
Police reported that at 8 a.m. on June 12, a customer entered the deli and became engaged in an argument with another customer. As the dispute escalated, the gunman allegedly pulled out a firearm, but his intended victim, a 25-year-old man, tackled him to the floor in an attempt to disarm him. While the man and his assailant wrestled on the floor of the deli, the gunman recklessly fired one round from his handgun, missing the victim and striking property only, police said.
The gunman fled on foot on Merrick Boulevard and headed toward Springfield Boulevard, police said. The victim sustained a minor laceration as a result of the attack and refused medical attention at the crime scene. No other injuries were reported.
Through Dec. 3, the 105th Precinct has reported 158 robberies so far in 2023, 8 fewer than the 166 reported at the same point last year, a decrease of 4.8%, according to the most recent CompStat report.
