A Midtown street vendor working a mobile food cart was shoved to the pavement and robbed at a busy Sixth Avenue corner, and NYPD detectives are now asking the public to help find the two men they say are responsible.
According to police, the robbery unfolded on Thursday, June 4 at about 9:32 p.m. at the southeast corner of Avenue of the Americas and West 53rd Street. Investigators say two unidentified men approached the 42-year-old vendor, grabbed cash from the front pocket of his apron, then pushed him to the ground when he tried to take the money back. Surveillance stills released by police show the pair scooping up bills that had scattered onto the sidewalk before taking off on foot.
Crime Stoppers Bulletin Lays Out the Robbery
In a June 24 post, NYPD Crime Stoppers said the suspects reached into the vendor's apron, grabbed U.S. currency, then shoved him when he tried to recover his cash. The alert notes that the men picked up additional bills that fell to the ground before running off.
The bulletin includes still images of the two men that investigators hope someone will recognize. Detectives are specifically asking anyone who was in the area that night and has cellphone, building, or door-cam footage to come forward, even if the video seems minor or the suspects only appear in the background.
Reward on the Table and How to Share Tips
Per NYPD Crime Stoppers, tips that lead to an arrest and indictment in a case like this can qualify for a reward of up to $3,500. Tips can be submitted anonymously by calling 1-800-577-TIPS (or Spanish 1-888-57-PISTA) or by using the program's online tools.
The precinct's mid-June NYPD CompStat report lists 14 robberies in the previous 28 days, compared with 18 in the same period a year earlier, offering some statistical context for crime in the area. Police are reminding anyone with potential evidence to save original video files and provide them directly to detectives rather than uploading compressed versions to social media.
Midtown Robbery Warnings Keep Coming
This latest alert is part of a run of Midtown notices in which detectives have leaned on public video and eyewitness accounts to fill in the gaps. Earlier this year, Hoodline covered a March incident involving Rolex-ripping robbers, a case that similarly highlighted how crucial bystander footage can be for making an arrest.
Those earlier advisories also echoed a familiar warning: residents, workers, and tourists should not confront suspects themselves, and should instead pass any photos or videos directly to police. Precinct leaders have increasingly turned to Crime Stoppers to crowdsource leads from commuters, nearby businesses, and anyone else who might have seen something.
If you recognize the men in the surveillance images or have uncompressed video from around Avenue of the Americas and West 53rd Street at about 9:32 p.m. on June 4, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (or Spanish 1-888-57-PISTA), submit an internet tip, or message @NYPDTips on X. Tips can be submitted anonymously and may be eligible for a cash reward. Investigators are asking anyone with potential evidence to preserve the original files and share them directly with police.
