One of the migrants who was arrested in the notorious attack on two NYPD officers in Times Square last month was part of a group that allegedly robbed the Macy’s department store inside the Queens Center Mall Tuesday afternoon.
Darwin Andres Gomez-Izquiel, 19, who was staying at the Candler Building migrant shelter at 220 West 42nd St., was busted by cops last night after being spotted at the Times Square 7 train station shortly after the Macy’s robbery, authorities said. He was taken into custody hours after he and three other suspects looted the department store at around 5:30 p.m., stuffing bags full of store merchandise before leaving the location, police said.
A 27-year-old security guard tried in vain to stop them and the robbers struggled with him. One of the suspects punched the guard in the face before the four suspects ran away from the Queens Center Mall westbound on Queens Boulevard with more than $800 in assorted clothing, police said. An NYPD spokesman could not say if Gomez-Izquiel was the assailant in the assault on the security guard, nor could he say whether the other three suspects were migrants as well.
Gomez-Izquiel was booked at the 110th Preincy on Wednesday afternoon, charged with robbery and petit larceny. Last month, he was released without bail for his involvement in the Times Square attack on the two officers.
The security guard suffered minor injuries and refused medical attention at the crime scene.
The NYPD released surveillance video that shows the three suspects in the robbery investigation who remain at large as they entered the Macy’s store.
One was a woman with a light complexion, around 5 feet 6 inches tall with a medium build who was wearing a black bubble jacket over a black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and black sneakers, police said.
A second suspect is described as a man with a medium complexion, standing approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall with a thin build. He was last seen wearing a multicolored baseball cap, a blue jacket, gray jeans, and black and blue sneakers.
The third suspect is described as having a medium complexion, around 5 feet 10 inches tall with a medium build. He was wearing a black skull cap, a black bubble jacket over a black hoodie, black jeans and black and white sneakers.
A reward of up to $3,500 is being offered for information that leads to their arrest. Anyone with information in regard to this 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). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
Through Feb. 11, the 110th Precinct has reported 57 robberies so far in 2024, 21 more than the 36 reported at the same point last year, an increase of 58.3%, according to the most recent CompStat report.
