Police: Queens Pipe Attack Suspect Linked To Other Violent Robberies
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police say the suspect who attacked a man with a metal pipe during a violent robbery in Queens in November attacked several other people as well.
Surveillance video shows a man in a black hat holding what appears to be a metal pipe and threatening a 65-year-old man in a striped hoodie.
Police said the suspect demanded the victim's wallet. When the victim refused, the suspect allegedly hit him over the head with the pipe.
It happened on Nov. 11 around 6:30 a.m. at 142nd Street between 106th and 107th avenues.
"I look, and I see the first lashing then, the second lashing the man fell," said Geeta Persaud, a witness. "And I run up to there, but I don't go too close because I'm afraid that he's going to hit me, and I'm screaming to people, 'Open the door!' Nobody opened the door."
Once the victim was knocked to the ground, police said the suspect stole his cellphone and took off.
"He hit him and he take the man's phone away," Persaud said. "He had on a hoodie and he had on sweatpants... and he's very tall. He's very tall from the back, but he never looked back at me."
Police say the same suspect is behind two other similar incidents. One happened at 1 a.m. on Nov. 10. Police say a 59-year-old man was attacked at 104th Street and Jamaica Avenue. They say the suspect - this time wielding a screwdriver - demanded cash and, when the victim refused, hit him in the face and stole his cell phone.
The most recent incident took place Nov. 24 at 8:15 p.m. near 109th Avenue and 142nd Street. They say the suspect beat up a 67-year-old man and stole his wallet.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-8477 or for Spanish, 1-888-577-4782. Tips can also be sent to the NYPDTips Twitter account or submitted online at NYPDCrimeStoppers.com.
