Search Continues For Robber Who Allegedly Held Up Cellphone Store Twice
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police on Tuesday were asking the public to help them find three suspects who held up a Midtown East cellphone parts and repair shop at gunpoint last week.
One of the suspects was also believed to be involved in an earlier robbery of the same store in May.
Around 3:15 p.m. this past Wednesday, the suspects walked into the BC Wireless store at 218 Madison Ave., and one of them brandished a handgun as they demanded money, police said.
"Two guys came in and they acted like customers," store owner Mandeep Kumar told 1010 WINS last week. "Another guy walked in and right away he pulled a gun and told my brothers to lay down on the floor."
The other two suspects took cellphones from behind the counter, and the armed suspect took cash, police said.
"(They) had a big backpack and they started putting all the phones and everything in the bag," Kumar added.
All three suspects ran off with an undetermined amount of money and cellphones, police said.
The suspects took off and Kumar's brother chased them all the way to 32nd Street and Fifth Avenue.
"There was a police car parked there and my brother knocked on his window when they were 15 feet away from them and my brother said, 'Officer, they just robbed my store they have a gun,'" Kumar said.
The suspects made off with nearly $40,000 worth of electronics and over $9,000 in cash, 1010 WINS reported.
Police released a surveillance image of one of the suspects, who was believed to be connected to a robbery at the same store on Wednesday, May 14.
"It was the same exact guy, he came at the exact time," Kumar said. "But this time he came in with another two guys."
Around 2:55 p.m. May 14, the suspect walked into the store and asked how much iPhones were. A store clerk assisted the suspect, and the suspect pulled out a firearm and ordered the clerk to the floor, police said.
The clerk complied, and the suspect tried to open the display cases behind the counter, but was unable to do so and left, police said.
The suspect was described as a black male between 18 and 20 years old with dreadlocks.
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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