The NYPD is actively searching for eight individuals connected to a series of burglaries and robberies across Queens and the Bronx, targeting local residents and their businesses. As reported by Gothamist, these suspects have left communities rattled by their calculated thefts, ranging from street robberies to burglaries that resulted in significant monetary losses.
Three of these suspects are linked to thefts from two boroughs' businesses last Sunday, March 2. According to PIX11, over $20,000 in cash was stolen from three businesses on Queens Boulevard. Caught on camera, their escape vehicle, a black Mercedes Benz GLE with a New Jersey license plate, quickly became a central element in the case. The trio made their first entry at 42-01 Queens Boulevard, forcibly damaging an ATM and absconding with $12,000 and cigarettes. Subsequent robberies at 42-11 and 42-09 Queens Boulevard saw additional sums and property taken, totaling an excess of $15,000.
In separate incidents, three additional suspects preyed on individuals attempting to sell items. Victims were lured into meetings under the premise of a transaction, only to be assaulted and robbed. One such encounter resulted in a man being hospitalized with a broken nose after being pepper-sprayed and robbed at Barclay Avenue and Kissena Boulevard. Another victim experienced theft of a Rolex watch and an assault at a building near 188th Street and 64th Avenue, police said.
The string of criminal acts extended into the Bronx, where two suspects, riding by on a bike, snatched chains from multiple individuals. Police said six incidents from West Farms to Morris Heights occurred, with each happening between the hours of 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., sweeping a wide age range from 17 to 64 years old victims off their feet. There were no reported injuries among the victims of these chain-snatching episodes.
Despite recent incidents, NYPD data shows a decline in robberies, burglaries, and grand larcenies in the Bronx and Queens compared to last year. While burglaries saw just a single-digit percentage decrease, other thefts dropped by double digits, Gothamist reports.
Anyone with information on these cases is highly encouraged to reach out to the authorities
