A 70-year-old woman walking in Astoria was blindsided Wednesday afternoon when someone came up from behind and yanked a necklace off her neck, according to police. The robbery happened at about 4:30 p.m. near Crescent Street and Broadway. The suspect then bolted on foot, heading west on 31st Drive, leaving the woman shaken but not reported to be seriously injured.
The NYPD Crime Stoppers unit has posted a wanted alert on Facebook, sharing still images of the suspect and asking anyone who recognizes the person to come forward. According to NYPD Crime Stoppers on Facebook, tips can also be sent via the department's X account, @NYPDTips.
How Police Want To Hear From You
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or the Spanish line at 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the department's online portal. The NYPD Crime Stoppers page explains how tips are handled and what anonymity protections are in place for callers and online tipsters.
A Wider Pattern Of Jewelry-Targeting Robberies
Street robberies that involve ripping necklaces off pedestrians or using quick-hit "jewelry swap" tricks have been reported in several boroughs, often aimed at older New Yorkers and carried out so fast that victims and bystanders barely process what is happening in the moment. Reporting by CBS New York and previous Hoodline coverage of fast "chain-snatch" incidents show that the city has seen clusters of these robberies in recent months.
Legal Note
Under New York law, robbery is defined as "forcible stealing," and the degree of the charge depends on details such as how much force was used and whether a dangerous instrument was involved. The statute and model jury instructions for those elements are summarized by Justia in its overview of Article 160 of the New York Penal Law.
As of this alert, no arrests have been announced. Detectives are asking nearby residents, business owners, and commuters to check any phone or door-cam footage from around the time of the robbery. Anyone with relevant video or information is urged to preserve it and submit an anonymous tip at CrimeStoppers.nypdonline.org or by calling 1-800-577-TIPS.
