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Failed thief slugs Astoria drug store employee but drops the cosmetics he stole: cops

114 attempted robbery
Photo via Google Maps, insets courtesy of the NYPD

Cops are looking for a would-be thief who tried to steal store merchandise from an Astoria pharmacy.

According to police, at 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 14, an unknown man entered a Rite Aid, located at 33-01 30th Ave., and tried to take cosmetics from the shelves without paying for it. When the suspect was approached by a male employee, he proceeded to punch the employee in the face.

Law enforcement sources said the bandit then dropped the cosmetics and fled the scene on foot in an unknown direction. The victim, who suffered pain and swelling from the punch, did not receive medical treatment.

Police described the perpetrator as a Hispanic man between the ages of 30 and 40-years-old. He was last seen wearing all dark clothing.

Anyone with information in regards 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 or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls and messages are kept confidential.