A late-night sit in a parked car turned into a gunpoint robbery in East New York, and detectives from Brooklyn’s 75th Precinct now want the public’s help tracking down two suspects caught on camera.
Police say a 28-year-old man was sitting in his parked 2018 Hyundai Elantra around 12:30 a.m. on May 18 when two people walked up, displayed firearms and demanded his keys. The pair allegedly took off in the Hyundai. Officers later found the car locked and empty in the area of Stanley Avenue and Elton Street, according to investigators.
The NYPD Crime Stoppers program released still images from video and a brief case rundown on Tuesday and is asking anyone who recognizes the people shown, or who has dash-cam or doorbell footage from the area, to reach out to detectives, according to NYPD Crime Stoppers. The bulletin notes that after the keys were taken, the suspects fled eastbound on Cozine Avenue in the victim’s Hyundai, which was later recovered nearby, locked and unoccupied.
How Police Say the Robbery Went Down
According to the Crime Stoppers post, “two unidentified individuals displayed firearms” and ordered the victim to hand over his car keys, then drove off in the Hyundai, per NYPD Crime Stoppers. Detectives say the vehicle turned up a short time later in the vicinity of Stanley Avenue and Elton Street, with no one inside. No injuries were reported and, so far, no arrests have been announced.
Investigators are especially interested in any private video that might show the approach, the confrontation or the suspects driving away. Even a few seconds of street or lobby footage could help fill in the timeline.
Precinct Context
The corner of Schenck Avenue and Cozine Avenue sits within the NYPD’s 75th Precinct in East New York, a command that covers much of the neighborhood’s eastern edge, according to the NYPD 75th Precinct.
The precinct’s most recent CompStat summary lists 51 robberies in the latest 28-day reporting period, a slight uptick from 48 during the same stretch last year, even as year-to-date robbery totals are still lower than in 2025, per the precinct’s CompStat report. Police officials often describe that kind of short-term bump alongside longer-term dips as part of the normal month-to-month swings they track when looking for robbery patterns.
Possible Charges and Legal Context
Because the suspects are accused of displaying firearms, the case could fit the criteria for robbery in the first degree under New York law, an elevated felony that applies when a robber “displays what appears to be a pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun, machine gun or other firearm,” according to New York Penal Law §160.15. Whether prosecutors ultimately pursue first-degree robbery would hinge on what detectives can prove about how the weapons were displayed and the suspects’ actions during the holdup. Police have not commented on potential charges.
How to Share Tips
Anyone with information, photos or video tied to the case is urged to contact Crime Stoppers. The anonymous tip line is 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), and Spanish speakers can call 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website. The New York City Police Foundation, which helps administer the program, notes that rewards of up to $3,500 may be available for information leading to an arrest and indictment.
Investigators are asking anyone who was near Cozine Avenue or the surrounding blocks around 12:30 a.m. on May 18 to hold onto any original video files and provide copies to detectives rather than editing or reposting them. Police also stress that members of the public should not confront anyone they think might be involved. Instead, they should preserve what they saw or recorded and pass it along to investigators.
Hoodline and other local outlets have previously pointed out that quick community tips and clear door-cam clips have helped close similar cases, and authorities say that even a short video can be enough to lock in a timeline and point them toward suspects.
