Police released images on Feb. 14 of a crook who got into a fight with a 47-year-old man and lost while trying to steal the victim’s cellphone earlier this month.
Law enforcement sources said the trouble began at 2:50 a.m. on Feb. 1 inside of the 90th Street-Elmhurst Avenue station on the 7 line, above the intersection of Elmhurst and Roosevelt Avenues.
According to authorities, the robber approached the 47-year-old man and punched him in the face, then grabbed the victim’s cellphone. But cops said the victim wouldn’t let the robber get away; he fought back and retrieved his cellphone from the crook, who subsequently fled empty-handed in an unknown direction.
Officers from the 115th Precinct responded to the incident. The victim suffered a facial laceration.
Cops describe the bandit as a Hispanic male standing about 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighing about 150 pounds. Nearby security cameras captured the images of the perpetrator that police released last Thursday.
Anyone with information regarding the suspect’s whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA), visit the Crime Stoppers website, send a direct message on Twitter to @NYPDTips or a text message to 274637 (CRIMES), then enter TIP577. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
The robbery occurred at the same location where, two days later, a 20-year-old man was shot to death during a fight with alleged gang members. The incident, which was caught on graphic cellphone video, was not connected to the Feb. 1 robbery, but remains under investigation.
