Bed-Stuy Moped Stickup: Trio Jacks Scooter At Herkimer And New York Ave

Police in Brooklyn are asking for help from the public after three people allegedly forced a 40-year-old man off his moped and rode away with it at Herkimer Street and New York Avenue on the evening of May 11. The victim was sitting on the moped around 7:47 p.m. in the 79th Precinct when, according to officers, the trio approached, took control of the scooter, and then took off. Investigators say the suspects sped northbound on New York Avenue and have not yet been identified.

The NYPD's Crime Stoppers account has shared still images and a brief bulletin about the case and is offering a reward for information, according to NYPD Crime Stoppers. The post lists the usual tip lines and notes that informants could receive up to $3,500 if their information leads to an arrest and indictment. Detectives are also asking anyone who may have video or firsthand eyewitness accounts from that time of night to step up.

Moped robberies remain a citywide concern

This latest theft fits into a wider pattern of quick-hit robberies involving mopeds and scooters that police and local outlets have been tracking across multiple boroughs in recent months. Reporters have highlighted similar snatch-and-run and chain-snatch incidents in the Bronx and Queens, where suspects rely on two-wheel getaways, as covered by both that report and FOX 5 New York. Community figures have noted that the speed and mobility of mopeds can make it tougher for officers to respond in time and to preserve solid evidence.

How to report tips

Anyone with information or video tied to the Bed-Stuy incident is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or in Spanish at 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), or to submit a tip online through the program's portal, according to the city's Crime Stoppers information page (NYPD Crime Stoppers). Residents can also reach out to the 79th Precinct at its Tompkins Avenue station for local follow-up and community meeting details (79th Precinct). Tips can be submitted anonymously and may qualify for the reward listed by Crime Stoppers.

Police say the photos released by investigators could be key in identifying the suspects, and detectives are continuing to review nearby surveillance footage. Anyone who recognizes the people in the images, or who saw the moped after it was taken, is urged to call the tip lines or send in information online.