Police from the 112th Precinct in Forest Hills are looking for an armed robber who targeted a 26-year-old man on Austin Street during the early morning of Saturday, Jan. 10.
The victim was walking near the dead-end street at 63rd Avenue just before 1:15 a.m. when he was approached by a stranger who pushed him from behind and pistol-whipped him in the head causing minor injuries, police said. The suspect allegedly removed the victim’s wallet, which contained approximately $100 in cash and forcibly removed his backpack before running off westbound on Wetherole Street toward Eliot Avenue.
The injured man refused medical attention at the scene, according to police, and an NYPD spokeswoman said the contents of the stolen backpack has not been determined.
Investigators say the same man targeted a 24-year-old woman a few blocks away on the night of Wednesday, Jan. 7.
The victim was walking near the intersection of Saunders Street and 62nd Avenue when the suspect approached her from behind, pulled out a firearm, and demanded her property, according to the NYPD.
The perpetrator proceeded to search her pockets and removed an undetermined amount of cash, the police spokeswoman said. The assailant pulled her hair and kicked her before taking off down 62nd Avenue towards Austin Street.
EMS responded and treated the victim at the scene.
The NYPD released surveillance images of the suspect walking along Austin Street and described him as having a dark complexion. He wore a black hooded winter jacket, beige pants, white sneakers and black headphones.
A reward of up to $3,500 is being offered for information that leads to his arrest and indictment.
Anyone with information regarding these gunpoint robberies 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 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 Jan. 11, the 112th Precinct has reported four robberies so far in 2026, one fewer than the five reported at the same point last year, a decline of 20%, according to the most recent CompStat report.
