STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The staff at D&K Deli and Grocery in Rosebank say they were shocked to learn of an armed robbery early Friday morning, in what they described as an uncommon occurrence.
The incident unfolded just before 3 a.m. inside the 24-hour business, located at Bay Street and St. John’s Avenue. Workers described the deli as a community staple for the past decade.
Police said the perpetrator displayed a firearm and removed cash from the register, before fleeing in an unknown direction. It wasn’t immediately clear how much money was taken.
Neither of the two employees who spoke to the Advance/SILive.com were working at the time of the robbery, but both said the incident has made them wary.
“This has never happened, nothing like this ever,” said one employee. “I mean, I’ve been working here for seven, eight years. I’ve never seen this.”
Another employee who typically works morning and weekend shifts said she also was shocked to learn about what happened. “It’s something new here,” she said. “I’ve heard about things, but never like that.”
No arrests had been made as of Friday afternoon, as an investigation remained ongoing, according to an NYPD spokesperson.
The suspect was described by police as a male wearing all black clothing and a face mask.
Recent drop in robberies, other crimes
There have been 33 robbery incidents reported to police on Staten Island so far this year, which represents a 15.4% decrease compared to the same time last year, data shows.
Overall, the seven major crimes are down nearly 10% on Staten Island and 6% citywide, according to CompStat, a data system that tracks crimes reported to the NYPD.