Police Search For Robber Who Held Up Manhattan Stores, Newsstands
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police on Thursday were asking for help from the public in finding a suspect in a string of robberies targeting grocery stores, bodegas, newsstands and other businesses around Manhattan.
The robberies happened between Nov. 27 of last year and this past Sunday, in the West Village, Gramercy Park, Midtown East, and the Upper East and West sides, police said.
In each incident, the suspect walked into the store, flashed a gun, tied up the employees, and took cash and cigarettes, police said.
The robberies happened at the following times and locations:
• Around 8:35 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 23, at a store at 1248 Lexington Ave. The suspect took $2,000; more than $1,000 in New York State scratch-off lottery tickets, and $500 worth of prepaid phone cards;
• Around 10 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, around at a grocery store at 2635 Broadway. The suspect took over $1,000;
• Around 10:35 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30, at a newsstand at 2175 Broadway. The suspect took over $4,000;
• Around 8:50 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, at Mike's Smoke Shop, 1666 First Ave. The suspect took about $2,000 and an unknown quantity of Newport cigarettes;
• Around 8:55 p.m. Feb. 28 at Marim Candy Store, 381 First Ave. The suspect took about $3,000;
• Around 8:35 p.m. March 25 at Chunnu News, 703 Third Ave. The suspect took about $4,000;
• Around 10:20 p.m. Sunday at the Two Friends Store, 46 Eighth Ave. The suspect ordered the clerk to the floor at gunpoint, zip-tied his hands and used a Taser on him several times, before making off with $1,800, seven cartons of Newport cigarettes, and 29 lottery scratch-off games.
Police have released a surveillance video from the most recent incident.
Anyone with information was asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS, log onto the Crime Stoppers website, or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) and enter TIP577.
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