Police: 77-Year-Old Man Forced To Withdraw Money From ATM In Knifepoint Robbery
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The NYPD is searching for a suspect who police say targeted a 77-year-old, demanding he take out cash at a bank in Brooklyn.
That man spoke with CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis, telling her he believes he was targeted because of his age.
As you can imagine, the man says he was horrified - 40 years living in the neighborhood and never experiencing anything like this.
He says he was returning home to his apartment on Avenue N in the Flatlands section, unlocking the door, when the suspect creeped up behind him.
"He came from this direction, and he shoved me inside," Pedro Colon told DeAngelis.
Colon, 77, says he tried to put a fight when he was forced into his apartment Sunday afternoon, but he knew he was no match for the suspect.
"I was very scared. I did the best I could, but again he was too young, too strong for me to fight," Colon said.
He says the suspect stole a kitchen knife from his apartment where he also demanded money, but Colon only had $8.
"He got the cell phone and he started calling," Colon said. "He said it was a car service, but it possibly might have been an accomplice," Colon said.
The suspect then forced Colon into the car and drove to a Chase bank on Flatbush Avenue, where police say he was ordered to take out cash.
"He took some of the money and put it in my pocket. There's a possibility he might have done that to put, give people the impression I wasn't being robbed, that he was helping me along," Colon said.
Colon says the man made two ATM withdrawals from his account, getting away with $900.
Eventually, police say the suspect ran off, leaving the car behind, and Colon, who wasn't physically hurt, but shaken up.
Colon says he went to a supermarket and called police.
"Thank God that I'm still alive and it could have been a lot worse," Colon said.
He's hoping police catch the suspect, for the sake of other vulnerable people.
"I hope that other senior citizens will be protected, that they won't have to go through the same thing I did," he said.
The search continues for the suspect, who is believed to be 20-30 years old.
Since Colon mentioned there was a driver, DeAngelis asked the NYPD if there is more than one suspect in this case. Right now, police say they're looking for one man, but the investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.