An 84-year-old man was robbed of multiple necklaces and then run over by the getaway car behind 77-00 Queens Boulevard in Elmhurst, according to police, who are now asking the public for help identifying two suspects still at large.
The robbery happened around noon on Sunday, August 23, in the rear of the Queens Boulevard property, according to NYPD Crime Stoppers
. Police say two unidentified individuals in a blue sedan approached the elderly victim and struck up a conversation before one of them removed multiple necklaces from around his neck. When the victim tried to retrieve his property, he fell to the ground, and the sedan then ran over his hand, causing pain and swelling, per the same account. The vehicle fled northbound on Ireland Street toward parts unknown, and both suspects remain unidentified.
The scene of the robbery sits within the NYPD's 110th Precinct, which patrols Elmhurst and Corona and treats Queens Boulevard as one of its three main commercial corridors alongside Roosevelt Avenue and Broadway, according to the NYPD. The commercial parcel at 77-00 Queens Boulevard itself dates to 1952 and carries an estimated market value of $8.7 million, per PropertyShark.
A Pattern of Targeting Seniors With Distraction Tactics
The tactic described in this case echoes a scam the NYPD has separately warned Queens residents about: a so-called jewelry swap scheme in which thieves approach seniors under the guise of asking for directions or offering gifts, then forcibly snatch gold chains, according to an NYPD public safety alert. CTV News reported 35 distraction-theft incidents in Vancouver in 2026, described alleged organized crime rings, and said suspects sometimes approached victims in vehicles or traveled across Canada, according to CTV News.
This case stands apart from a typical swap scam in one key way: the suspects used direct physical force, and prosecutors could treat the getaway car itself as a weapon. Under New York Penal Law § 160.10, forcibly stealing property with the aid of another person present, or causing physical injury during a theft or escape, constitutes Robbery in the Second Degree — a Class C violent felony, according to the New York State Senate. Separately, the vehicle ran over the victim's hand during the incident, while the cited legal reference does not establish that this elevated the charge or set a sentence.
Local Crime Numbers and How to Report a Tip
The robbery comes as the 110th Precinct recorded 299 robberies through September 6, compared with 274 at the same point in 2025. Citywide, New York recorded some of its lowest midyear homicide and shooting figures in decades during the first half of 2026, per Vital City.
NYPD Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $3,500 for information leading to an arrest and indictment in the case. Anyone with information can call 1-800-577-TIPS. Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website or X, and are confidential. The post does not provide broader statistics about Crime Stoppers' work.
The robbery remains under investigation within the 110th Precinct, and investigators continue to seek the public's help. No arrests have been announced in the case.
