Police are searching for a group of suspects who have robbed at least eight people in Manhattan and Queens in recent weeks.
In each of the incidents, the suspect or suspects approach the victim, brandish either a firearm or knife and demand property, police said.
On June 30 at approximately 4:55 a.m., a female victim was trying to hail a cab when she entered a vehicle occupied by the suspects. The suspects rummaged through the woman’s purse, stole her property and dropped her off on West 49th Street.
In another incident on July 3, two suspects followed a 34-year-old male in the vicinity of West 25th Street and Second Avenue. One suspect tied the victim’s hands with a cord while the other suspect used the victim’s debit card to withdraw cash from a nearby ATM machine.
The most recent incident occurred on July 5 at about 1:45 a.m. when a female suspect approached a 33-year-old male near Perry and Hudson Streets. The suspect displayed a firearm and demanded the victim’s property and the PIN number for his debit card. The woman removed the man’s property and fled the location, police said.
All of the incidents have occurred in the early morning hours.
The female suspects involved in the robberies are being described as black females in their early to mid-20s. One of them is 5-foot-8 and between 180 and 190 lbs. The other female suspect is 5-foot-2 and weighs between 110 and 115 lbs.
The male suspects are being described by police as black males also in their early to mid-20s. One of the males is 6-feet tall and 180 lbs. The other is approximately 5-foot-5.
Police have released photos of one of the women seen using a credit card at a CVS in Queens that was stolen from one of the incidents. Photos of one of the male suspects has also been released, along with a photo of a vehicle used in the robberies.
Anyone with information in regards to these incidents is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
