Gunmen Stage Fake Crash to Rob Three Drivers in East Elmhurst, NYPD Says

Three armed suspects allegedly staged a rear-end car crash at the corner of 31st Avenue and 101st Street in East Elmhurst last month, then jumped out and robbed the three people inside the other vehicle before speeding off. The victims — a 45-year-old man, a 45-year-old woman, and a 44-year-old woman — were stopped at a red light around 4 a.m. on July 8 when an unknown white sedan slammed into the rear of their car, according to police.

As detailed in a bulletin from NYPD Crime Stoppers, three unidentified individuals got out of the sedan, approached the victims, and displayed firearms while demanding their property. The suspects made off with a watch taken from the male victim and a purse taken from the 45-year-old female victim before all three fled eastbound on Astoria Boulevard in the white sedan, per the same bulletin. No further details on the suspects' descriptions or any injuries to the victims were included in the department's post.

A Tactic Police Call ‘Bump-and-Rob’

What happened at that intersection fits a pattern that law enforcement agencies nationally have given a name: the “bump-and-rob” or “bump-and-run.” According to the Houston Police Department, the scheme relies on intentionally rear-ending a vehicle to lure occupants outside to inspect the damage, at which point they are ambushed and robbed. The tactic exploits an instinctive reaction — checking on a fender-bender — to isolate drivers who would otherwise stay locked inside their cars.

Police departments have issued public safety guidance for motorists who suspect they may be caught in exactly this kind of trap. The Baltimore Police Department advises drivers to keep their doors locked, remain inside the vehicle, acknowledge the other driver through the window, and drive directly to a well-lit public area or a police station if they feel threatened rather than stepping out to confront a stranger after a minor collision.

East Elmhurst Corridor Has Seen Other Violence

The robbery happened on a stretch of 31st Avenue between 100th and 101st Streets that the New York City Council co-named “Rev. William E. Gardner Place” in 2019, honoring the pastor who led First Baptist Church of East Elmhurst from 1950 until his death and grew its membership from under 200 to more than 2,200. The intersection sits within the jurisdiction of the NYPD's 115th Precinct, a residential swath of northern Queens bordered by Jackson Heights, Corona, and LaGuardia Airport, with major routes like Astoria Boulevard nearby.

The area has seen other serious violence in recent months. Just one block away, on 32nd Avenue near 101st Street, detectives in February reclassified a 2023 mugging as a homicide after the 40-year-old victim died from head trauma he'd sustained during the attack, surviving in critical condition for over two years before passing away, as Hoodline previously reported. Hoodline has also covered other recent weapon-involved robberies tied to the 115th Precinct, including a man jumped and slashed in Jackson Heights earlier this month and another robbery victim slashed in the arm in late July.

Robberies Down Precinct-Wide, But Not Absent

The July 8 robbery comes even as overall robbery complaints have trended downward across the 115th Precinct this year. NYPD CompStat data shows the precinct logged 69 robbery complaints year-to-date through July 26, a 23.3% decline from the 90 recorded during the same period in 2025. Citywide, robbery complaints were down 12.0% through August 9, falling to 8,014 incidents compared with 9,105 over the same span last year, according to NYPD CompStat figures.

Under New York Penal Law § 160.15, forcibly stealing property while displaying what appears to be a firearm qualifies as Robbery in the First Degree, a Class B violent felony. A conviction carries a mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 25 years in state prison, according to New York State's legislative code.

How to Submit a Tip

NYPD Crime Stoppers is asking anyone with information about the robbery or the white sedan to come forward. The program, run by the independent nonprofit New York City Police Foundation since 1985, offers anonymous cash rewards of up to $3,500 for tips that lead to an arrest and indictment, according to the New York City Police Foundation. Tipsters never have to reveal their identity or testify in court.

Tips can be submitted by calling 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or in Spanish at 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or by using the Crime Stoppers X account, @NYPDTips. It remains unknown whether investigators have recovered surveillance footage from cameras along nearby Astoria Boulevard or whether the white sedan is linked to other staged collisions reported elsewhere in Queens.