NEW YORK CITY, NY – Detectives from the New York City Police Department have updated information regarding a citywide robbery pattern spanning multiple locations. Notably, smoke shops in different locations appear to be targeted by these suspects.
In the first incident, on Friday, September 8, around 4:20 pm, an unidentified male entered a smoke shop at 65-16 Fresh Pond Road. The suspect displayed a knife and robbed the shop of approximately $500 before fleeing on foot.
The second incident took place on Wednesday, September 20, around 4:30 pm. An unidentified male entered a smoke shop at 1490 First Avenue, threatened a 22-year-old male employee with a knife, and stole about $2,000 cash and additional merchandise. The suspect was seen fleeing on a scooter.
A subsequent event on Friday, September 22, around 5:25 pm, had two unidentified males robbing a smoke shop at 59-11 71 Avenue, getting away with about $1000 in cash and goods. They left the scene on a scooter.
One of the suspects in the third incident is described as being between 25-35 years old, around 5’7” tall, wearing a white durag, a green camouflage shirt, and gray pants. Anyone with any information is asked to contact NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline.