Police are looking for a group who allegedly displayed a knife at a 31-year-old worker inside a Claremont grocery and eatery before making off with nothing more than a bag of Takis. The confrontation happened just before 9 p.m. on August 23 at 3822 3rd Avenue, on a commercial stretch in the Bronx.
According to News 12 New York, the group entered the location and displayed a knife at the employee before removing the bag of chips and fleeing the scene. The address is occupied by La Parada Latina Food Corp., a neighborhood grocery store and Dominican eatery described as popular during school lunch and after school, according to Voice of AMS. It remains unclear from available reporting how many people were involved in the group or whether the worker or any bystanders suffered physical injuries during the confrontation.
A Violent Felony Despite the Low-Value Item
Although a bag of Takis might sound like small potatoes, displaying a knife while forcibly stealing property elevates the crime substantially under state law. Under New York Penal Law § 160.15, brandishing a dangerous instrument during a theft constitutes Robbery in the First Degree, a Class B violent felony punishable by up to 25 years in state prison, according to the New York Lawyers.
If more than one person actively participated, the group could also face Robbery in the Second Degree under Penal Law § 160.10, a Class C felony carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of 3.5 years upon conviction, per New York Lawyers. In other words, the value of what was stolen has little bearing on the severity of the charges the group could eventually face.
Claremont's 3rd Avenue Corridor Under Strain
The Claremont section of the Bronx, including the 3800 block of 3rd Avenue, falls under the jurisdiction of the NYPD's 42nd Precinct, which also covers Morrisania and Crotona Park, according to the Norwood News. This is not the only violent incident to hit that stretch of Third Avenue this year. Hoodline previously reported that a 76-year-old man was knocked unconscious in an unprovoked daylight assault directly in front of 3855 3rd Avenue on August 17.
The neighborhood has also grappled with more serious violence this year. In July, NYPD detectives investigated a fatal stabbing inside a residential walk-up at 1441 Teller Avenue in Claremont, which resulted in murder charges against a 27-year-old woman. Taken together, the incidents paint a picture of a commercial corridor that continues to face recurring safety challenges even as broader crime trends move in the opposite direction.
Crime Numbers Trending Down Citywide
Crime Numbers Trending Down Citywide A 12 percent decrease in retail theft was reported, but the available account does not identify the borough, dates or figures. The available sources do not provide a South Bronx robbery total or percentage for comparison.
Citywide robbery figures are not provided in the available reporting. Still, the recent run of incidents on this particular block of Third Avenue suggests that borough-wide progress hasn't fully reached every commercial corridor.
How to Help Investigators
Anyone with information about the group is asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards of up to $3,500 for anonymous tips leading to an arrest and indictment, funded independently through the New York City Police Foundation so tipsters do not need to testify in court. The latest available reporting said police were seeking the group in connection with the Claremont store incident.
