Police are looking for a violent man wanted in connection with robbing five women in the streets of Astoria and Long Island City.
Law enforcement sources said the pattern began at 11:30 p.m. on July 28 at 11:30 p.m. in front of the unidentified male suspect approached the 27-year-old female victim in front of a home on 33rd Street near 34th Avenue.
That’s where the suspect produced a knife and proceeded to take $120 in cash from the victim’s purse before quickly fleeing the scene.
Authorities said the second incident happened a day later on July 29 at about 11:05 p.m., when the same man approached a 23-year-old woman in front of a home on 36th Street between 30th and 31st avenues and demanded that she give him money. The thief allegedly lifted his shirt and showed the victim the large knife, then took $60 in cash and fled the scene.
The suspect’s tactics became more violent during a robbery two days later, on July 31. At about 4:30 a.m., law enforcement sources said, the crook approached the 21-year-old female victim on the corner of 43rd Street and 31st Avenue and punched her in the back of the head. He then proceeded to choke the woman and removed her wallet, which contained multiple credit cards and $30 in cash.
Police said the victim later walked into NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital of Queens in Flushing and received treatment for cuts and scrapes.
The suspect’s next attempted robbery happened on Aug. 3 at approximately 12:52 a.m. Police said that the bandit approached the 29-year-old woman as she was entering her home in the vicinity of 43rd Street and 34th Avenue. He then allegedly pushed the victim into the lobby of her residence and attempted to forcibly remove her bag. Police sources said that he fled the scene empty-handed.
Two days later, on Aug. 5 at about 12:43 a.m., the suspect approached the 28-year-old female victim in front of a residence 29th Street between 34th and 35th avenues in Long Island City. He allegedly grabbed the woman from behind and put her in a chokehold. The man reportedly took the woman’s pocketbook, which contained multiple credit cards and fled.
Police describe the suspect as a black male in his early 20s. He is about 6 feet tall with a thin build and was last seen wearing a black shirt, black jeans, and was last seen wearing a surgical mask.
Photo courtesy of the NYPD
Anyone with information in regards to these incidents 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.
