BY ROBERT POZARYCKI AND SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
Updated Nov. 30, 11 a.m.
Police believe the 67-year-old victim of a robbery in his own driveway in Bayside was targeted after making an expensive electronic purchase, according to an update given by police at the Bayside Hills Civic Association meeting on Tuesday night.
“We think he was actually targeted at this point,” said Police Officer Luigi Galano of the 111th Precinct during Tuesday night’s meeting. “He was shopping for an electronic device: an iPhone. He purchased the phone at one of the local stores … went back home, and that’s when he was robbed right in front of his house.”
Galano said two black male suspects approached the victim as he exited his vehicle and hit him in the lower left eye with the back of a handgun.
“As of right now there hasn’t been any arrests on that,” Galano said. “We’re still actively looking. We have some leads.”
Galano said officers have been searching surveillance footage throughout the neighborhood to see if they can get a better physical description of the suspects. He encouraged anyone with tips regarding the incident to contact police.
The two crooks robbed the 67-year-old victim and smacked him in the head with a firearm in the driveway of his Bayside home on Nov. 25, according to police. Law enforcement sources said the robbery occurred at about 8 p.m. along 57th Road near Cloverdale Boulevard in the Oakland Gardens section of the neighborhood.
According to police, the 67-year-old victim had just pulled his car into the driveway and exited with a grocery bag when he was approached by the two robbers, who were described as black males.
One of the suspects removed the victim’s bag, which contained an iPhone 7, then pistol-whipped him with a firearm that went off; police said the slug went through the driver’s side window but did not strike anyone.
The crooks then fled the scene on foot westbound along 57th Road toward Cloverdale Boulevard, authorities said. The victim suffered minor injuries.
Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS, visit their website or send a text message to 274637 (CRIMES), then enter TIP577. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
