A 67-year-old was punched in the face and robbed of $120 inside a building on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, and police are now asking the public for help tracking down the attacker. The victim suffered minor injuries and was treated by EMS crews at the scene, while the suspect took off on foot in an unknown direction.
According to News 12 Brooklyn, investigators say a stranger punched the victim on September 8 before snatching the cash and running off. Police have requested the public's help identifying the suspect and have released an image of him in hopes someone recognizes his face. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-577-TIPS.
A Pattern of Robberies Across the Borough?
The Atlantic Avenue assault comes amid other reported robbery activity in Brooklyn, though there's no evidence tying this case to those other incidents. A separate report described at least a dozen robberies along Atlantic Avenue, Flatbush Avenue and Fulton Street between October and November, with police believing one man was behind all of them and often targeting small businesses and female clerks, per the same account.
In yet another case, the same station's report noted that the NYPD was looking for at least three suspects connected to a string of similar robbery incidents in Brooklyn, with some victims attacked from behind late at night. The most recent of those incidents was reported at Kosciusko Street and Broadway, according to the report.
Other Recent Brooklyn Cases
Robbery reports have continued to surface across the borough in recent months. A Brooklyn Eagle item noted that a Flatlands senior was forced to withdraw $11,000 from her bank by an unknown man, while another Brooklyn Eagle report from July described police searching for a man suspected of breaking into 11 businesses across Brooklyn and stealing thousands of dollars.
How to Help
Anyone with information about the September 8 assault and robbery is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS. Per the NYPD, the Crime Stoppers Program offers rewards of up to $3,500 for anonymous information that leads to the arrest and indictment of a violent felon. No arrest has been announced in the case as of now.
