A 35-year-old man was robbed at gunpoint in broad daylight outside 1235 Stratford Avenue in the Bronx's Soundview section last Wednesday, August 19, when two unidentified suspects pulled up on a black motorcycle around 2:24 p.m. and demanded his wallet. The passenger dismounted, displayed what police described as a black firearm, took the victim's property, and climbed back on the bike before the pair sped off to parts unknown.
The stickup, which happened within the confines of the NYPD's 43rd Precinct, was publicized by NYPD Crime Stoppers in a wanted post seeking the public's help identifying the two men. The precinct covers southeast Bronx neighborhoods including Soundview, Castle Hill, Parkchester, and Clason Point from its station house at 900 Fteley Avenue, according to the NYPD.
🚨WANTED FOR A ROBBERY: On Wednesday, August 19, 2026, at approximately 2:24 P.M., in front of 1235 Stratford Avenue, in the confines of the 43 Precinct in the Bronx, a 35-year-old male victim was approached by two unidentified individuals on a black motorcycle. The passenger… pic.twitter.com/P1HqAjiaBI
— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) August 27, 2026
A Familiar Block for Daylight Robberies
This is not the first time Stratford Avenue has made headlines for a broad-daylight stickup. The corridor has seen a string of similar incidents in recent years, including a November 2024 robbery of a 14-year-old outside 1168 Stratford Avenue, a February 2026 mugging of a 12-year-old girl outside 1277 Stratford Avenue, and a March 2026 luggage stickup outside 1217 Stratford Avenue, all previously reported by Hoodline.
Detectives in the 43rd Precinct routinely ask neighborhoods for surveillance footage following street robberies in this stretch of Soundview, a pattern that has held true again with this case. It remains unclear whether investigators have recovered clear security camera footage of the motorcycle or the two men involved, and police have not said whether this robbery is connected to any of the earlier Stratford Avenue incidents.
Part of a Bigger Bronx Trend
The motorcycle-enabled robbery also fits into a wider pattern that has played out across Bronx precincts in recent weeks. Bronx precincts logged multiple moped- and motorcycle-assisted street robberies throughout August, including incidents in the 44th, 50th, and 52nd Precincts where pairs or trios on two-wheelers approached victims in daylight before fleeing, the report notes. Similar cases covered by Hoodline this month include a moped crew that struck a driver at a red light on Exterior Street and a duo who ripped a chain off a man near Van Cortlandt Park before beating him.
The trend is not new. The NYPD reported back in June 2024 that while major crimes like murder and burglary were declining citywide, robbery and felony assault were rising, driven largely by suspects fleeing on illegal, unregistered scooters, mopeds, and motorcycles, according to the NYPD. In response, the department launched dedicated Quality of Life “Q-Teams” in April 2025 that seized 91 mopeds and 17 e-bikes within their first three weeks of deployment.
Potential Charges If Suspects Are Caught
Under New York Penal Law § 160.15(4), forcibly stealing property while displaying what appears to be a firearm constitutes Robbery in the First Degree, a Class B violent felony punishable by up to 25 years in state prison, according to FindLaw. The law does provide an affirmative defense if a defendant can establish that the displayed firearm was unloaded or inoperable, which would reduce the potential charge to Second or Third Degree Robbery, though it does not eliminate violent felony liability.
No arrests have been announced in connection with the Stratford Avenue robbery. Bronx Community Board 9, which represents more than 100,000 residents across southeast Bronx neighborhoods, regularly communicates with 43rd Precinct leadership regarding public safety concerns in the area, per the city government.
How to Submit a Tip
NYPD Crime Stoppers is asking anyone with information to call 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or the Spanish-language hotline at 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website or via direct message on X to @NYPDTips, and all information is kept anonymous.
A tip that leads to an arrest and indictment could be eligible for a cash reward of up to $3,500. Since its founding in 1983, the Crime Stoppers program, a public-private partnership with the New York City Police Foundation, has helped solve more than 5,600 violent crimes, including over 1,600 homicides and 2,400 robberies, approving more than $3.4 million in cash rewards, according to the New York City Police Foundation.
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