The NYPD is looking for two violent men who have targeted four spas across three Queens police precincts in the last week-and-a-half, leaving several spa workers injured in assaults and one man critically injured after he was shot, according to authorities.
On Monday, Dec. 4, one of the men entered the Sun Spa at 112-21 Jamaica Ave. in Richmond Hill, within the confines of the 102nd Precinct, at around 3:40 p.m., when the suspect pulled out a handgun and demanded that a 50-year-old woman working in the spa take him to a private room, police said. Once inside, the perpetrator allegedly put the firearm against her head and sexually assaulted her.
The gunman proceeded to remove $190 in cash from the victim and an unknown amount of cash from two additional 42-year-old women who he also threatened with the firearm before running out onto Jamaica Avenue and fleeing in an unknown direction, according to authorities.
Investigators believe he belongs to a crew that struck another spa in Jamaica Estates on the night of Sunday, Nov. 26. The same suspect and an accomplice entered 185-09 Jamaica Ave., within the confines of the 103rd Precinct, and flashed a firearm and a knife as they demanded cash and property from a 43-year-old man, a 45-year-old woman and a 49-year-old woman. They proceeded to take three cell phones and approximately $5,000 in cash from the victims before running off eastbound on Jamaica Avenue, police said, adding that there were no injuries reported at the scene.
On Saturday, Dec. 2, just before 8 p.m., the main suspect entered a spa located at 113-19 Liberty Ave., within the confines of the 106th Precinct, and pulled out a handgun as he demanded cash and property from a 57-year-old woman. As the victim attempted to evade her attacker, he threw her to the floor and pistol-whipped her across the face before taking her cell phone and around $700 in cash before running off eastbound on Liberty Avenue, police said. The victim was transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center with injuries to her face and leg.
Less than an hour later, the same perpetrator entered a spa located at 123-21 Jamaica Ave. in Richmond Hill, pulled out a handgun and demanded cash and property from a 45-year-old woman, who told him she had no cash or property, according to the NYPD. The gunman attempted to sexually assault her and subsequently fired a single gunshot, which struck a 52-year-old man in the next room in his abdomen. The crook then fled empty-handed. EMS responded to the scene and rushed the victim to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center where he was listed in critical condition.
The NYPD released surveillance images of the ringleader and described him as having a medium skin tone. He is approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall and 130 pounds. He was last seen wearing ripped blue jeans and a green, black and white jacket.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.
Through Dec. 3, the 102nd Precinct has reported 165 robberies so far in 2023, 25 fewer than the 190 reported at the same point last year, a decrease of 13.2%, according to the most recent CompStat report.
Robberies are also down in the 106th Precinct, which reported 195 robberies as of Dec. 3. This is 14 less than the 209 reported at the same point in 2022, a decline of 6.7%, according to CompStat.
Robberies are also down slightly in the 103rd Precinct, where 349 were reported as of Dec. 3, marking 20 fewer than the 369 reported at the same point last year for 5.4% decrease, according to CompStat.
