The NYPD is asking for the public’s help to find two men they believe carted an ATM out of a Queens smoke shop this week, and pulled a gun on one of the store’semployees when he tried to intervene. According to police, the two men walked inside Ozone Howard Smoke Shop on Cross Bay Boulevard just before 1:30 p.m. Sunday, placed the ATM on a hand truck, wheeled it outside and started to load it into an older model Jeep Grand Cherokee. It was then that a 53-year-old man working inside the store came outside to stop the pair, but one of the suspects pulled a handgun on him, according to police.
The men were seen driving westbound on 149 Avenue.
The first suspect was described as a Hispanic man, 25 to 35 years old, last seen wearing a black sweater, blue jeans, sunglasses and a black t-shirt with multicolored sneakers.
The second was also described as a Hispanic man, 25 to 35 years old, last seen wearing a white t-shirt, a white bandana on his head, black gloves, sunglasses and dark colored pants.
Anyone with information is urged to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish speakers, 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 entering TIP577.