A quiet Monday in Jamaica turned tense on Feb. 26 when two unidentified suspects walked into a commercial business at 106-13 Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, flashed a gun at a 29-year-old employee and walked out with roughly $1,500, police said. One suspect displayed a firearm while cash was grabbed from the register and an office drawer, and the pair then bolted northbound on Guy R. Brewer before getting into a gray Toyota Highlander, according to law-enforcement details. The NYPD is now hoping someone recognizes them.
Police released surveillance photos and asked for tips
As posted on NYPD Crime Stoppers' Facebook page, the alert includes surveillance stills, a brief description of the suspects and the gray Toyota Highlander seen leaving the scene. The department reminds would-be tipsters that they can call 1-800-577-TIPS or submit anonymous information through the Crime Stoppers website, where tips may qualify for a reward, per the NYPD.
Another alert in a busy season for Jamaica businesses
The Facebook notice adds to a run of public wanted alerts for robberies at Jamaica businesses this winter, with local outlets tracking multiple Crime Stoppers appeals tied to the neighborhood. As rely on surveillance stills and community footage, detectives often lean on camera images and neighborhood video to put names to faces in these kinds of cases.
How prosecutors view a gun on the counter
That flashed firearm is not just for intimidation. Under New York law, showing what appears to be a gun during a robbery can bump the case up to robbery in the first degree, a class B felony that carries far tougher penalties, even if a defendant later argues the object was not a loaded weapon. The statute spells it out, noting that "displaying what appears to be a pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun, machine gun or other firearm" can qualify an offense for the higher charge, per Justia.
Anyone with information, including additional video, is asked to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (for Spanish: 1-888-57-PISTA) or submit tips online through the Crime Stoppers portal, the NYPD notes. Photos from the department's Facebook post are embedded above for reference.
