Police: Pair Of Thieves Rob Same Brooklyn Deli Two Nights In A Row
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The NYPD is looking for two thieves who allegedly robbed the same Brooklyn deli two nights in a row earlier this week.
The deli owner remains hard at work after he was held at gunpoint twice in a span of 24 hours, and tells CBS2 he believes the suspects returned a second time because they figured it would be the last thing he would expect.
Surveillance video from inside Habibi Deli on Fulton Street shows two masked men barging in brandishing a black firearm just before 3 a.m. Monday morning.
"They put the gun to my chest from there and they told me to get the money," owner Hamura Essa exclusively told CBS2's Ali Bauman. "Give it up, all the money in the cash register."
Police say the men left after Essa, who has owned the shop for five years and was working alone that night, handed over approximately $700 in cash.
"I was by myself. I didn't expect this to happen, because we've been here five years, nothing happened like this," he said.
Surveillance Video From Police Below:
Just 24 hours later, police say the same men returned -- with one of the suspects trading his solid black hoodie for a patterned one -- and were approached by the cashier before pulling out a gun and once again demanding money.
The suspects made off with approximately $500 from the register. Police say the cashier also handed over about $70 of his own money.
"They thought in their mind they're not gonna expect another robbery," Essa said. "We didn't expect it too. How you gonna hold up the store today then come back tomorrow the same time?"
Essa says he's been closing the store early since the second robbery, which has been costing him business.
"I was thinking about my kids," he told Bauman. "I just think about them, how they're going to live without me."
The first individual is described as an approximately 20-year-old Hispanic male, 5'7" tall and between 160 and 170 pounds with a light complexion. During both incidents he was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, dark sweatpants, black sneakers, and brandished a black firearm. He was carrying a red backpack during the first robbery, according to police.
The second individual is described as a male with a dark complexion and a slim build. During the first incident he was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, a white t-shirt, black pants, and black sneakers. During the second incident he was wearing a black and white hooded jacket with a distinctive pattern, black pants, and black sneakers.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74682). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.