The NYPD is asking Queens neighbors to take a close look at new surveillance images of a man investigators believe is behind a quick-hit series of commercial break-ins that rattled parts of the borough in mid-February. Police say the same suspect is linked to three smash-and-grab jobs that involved broken glass, forced entries and stolen cash, electronics and lottery tickets.
Three Break-Ins, Tight Timeline And A Grab Bag Of Loot
According to NYPD Crime Stoppers, detectives have tied the man to three hits in just a few days.
The first was on Feb. 14 at 138-98 Queens Boulevard, where police say he hurled a large rock through a glass garage door to get inside a commercial location.
Two days later, on Feb. 16, the same man allegedly showed up at 220-02 Horace Harding Expressway, where he is accused of kicking through a glass panel and swiping roughly $75 worth of lottery tickets.
On Feb. 18, at 87-10 Astoria Boulevard, the NYPD says he forced his way through the front door of another commercial establishment and took about $1,300 in cash along with a Canon camera, a laptop, an iPad and an iPhone.
Reward On The Table And How To Share Tips
The city’s Crime Stoppers program says it is offering up to $3,500 for information that leads to an arrest in the case. Tips can be submitted anonymously by calling 1-800-577-TIPS or through the Crime Stoppers website. Spanish speakers can call 1-888-57-PISTA, according to the NYPD Crime Stoppers program.
Queens Businesses On Edge As Burglary Patterns Grow
Local outlets have been tracking a rise in similar smash-and-grab incidents and crew-style burglary patterns across Queens in recent months, with laundromats, convenience stores and small businesses often in the crosshairs. Precinct commanders have leaned heavily on surveillance video and neighborhood tips, frequently releasing images like these in hopes that someone recognizes a face or a jacket, as reported by QNS.
Anyone who recognizes the person in the newly released images, or who has surveillance footage from the areas and dates of the incidents, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS or submit an anonymous tip online. The full set of surveillance photos and the NYPD’s original call for information are posted on the NYPD Crime Stoppers X post.
