Long Island City from the Queensboro Bridge to Hunters Point was at a standstill for awhile last Thursday beginning around 9:30 a.m. as a suspected armed robber allegedly filched three high-end vehicles.
Police briefly closed down the bridge and part of Borden Avenue in their pursuit of the suspect. About eight hours later they arrested Nicolas Almonte, 27.
The spree began at 9:30 a.m. when Almonte stole at gunpoint a black Mercedes sports car from a woman at 21-27 Borden Ave., police said. He allegedly drove her around for several minutes until at Queens Plaza the victim made her escape without injury.
Almonte allegedly vacated the Mercedes, which was later recovered.
Then at 10 a.m., after he tried but failed to steal a white Ford van, police received a call that an armed man had stolen someone’s grey Lexus sedan, according to the NYPD.
Officers found the car a short time later at 38th Street and Hunters Point Avenue.
A couple minutes later a woman who was walking her dog said that a man yanked her keys out her hand at 50th Avenue and 30th Street, but the suspect, allegedly Almonte, fled after the woman said that those were not the keys to her car.
At 10:20 a.m. the suspect stole cash from a truck driver and then ran off on foot. Ten minutes later an armed man allegedly stole a gold Mercedes sedan, which has not been found.
Employees at National Sign Lighting, a couple blocks from where the first car was taken, said at 1 p.m., “He’s still running around, but what rumors have you heard?”
The New York Times reported that the gun may have been a BB gun and that Almonte took medicine for bipolar disorder.
