Police from the 109th Precinct are looking for a pair of carjackers who targeted a motorist in Queensboro Hill on the morning of Friday, Aug. 14.
Police say the 40-year-old male victim was in his vehicle in front of 138-18 57th Road at just after 7 a.m. when an unidentified individual driving a white Acura TLX with New Jersey license plate X68NPS deliberately sideswiped his car. As the victim exited his vehicle to assess the damage, the two suspects exited the Acura and approached him. One individual brandished a firearm and demanded the victim’s car keys and property, which included a wallet containing credit cards, personal identification, and approximately $30 in cash, police said.
The perpetrators entered the victim’s BMW X3 with New York license plate HKD7084 and sped away southbound on Main Street toward the Long Island Expressway.
The perpetrators entered the victim’s BMW X3 with New York license plate HKD7084 and sped away southbound on Main Street toward the Long Island Expressway. Photo courtesy of the NYPD
The value of the stolen property totaled approximately $44,630, police said, adding that the victim was not injured during the carjacking.
The following morning, the same duo allegedly targeted another driver in the confines of the 113th Precinct at 8 a.m., when a 32-year-old man was at the rear of his parked vehicle in front of a home at 168-08 Linden Blvd., just east of the Van Wyck Expressway in South Ozone Park.
Police say the victim was approached by the perpetrators and one pulled out a firearm and demanded the victim hand over his Rolex wristwatch and wallet. The victim complied and also handed over a handbag containing personal items and approximately $4,000 in cash. The suspect pistol-whipped him in the head, causing a laceration.
The robbers entered his vehicle and proceeded to ransack the interior before driving off in a dark-colored BMW, believed to be the vehicle they carjacked the day before. The victim was treated at the scene by EMS and did not require hospitalization and the value of his stolen property was estimated to be approximately $67,900, police said.
The robbers allegedly targeted another driver in the confines of the 106th Precinct during the early morning hours of Wednesday, Aug. 19.
Police say a 26-year-old male victim was in his vehicle in front of a garden apartment at 82-14 155th Ave. in Howard Beach just before 4 a.m. when he was sideswiped by the driver in the dark-colored BMW. As the victim exited his vehicle to assess the damage, the two suspects exited their vehicle and approached him. One of them pulled out a firearm and made verbal threats before forcibly removing the victim’s necklace. They ransacked his vehicle and removed his property, including jewelry, a wallet with credit cards, a car key, personal identification, and approximately $180 in cash before driving off in an unknown direction, police said.
The victim sustained minor injuries but was not hospitalized and the value of the stolen property was approximately $46,230, police said. The armed robbers stole personal property from the three victims that was worth in excess of $150,000.
The NYPD released surveillance images of the two suspects but could not provide a description because their features were hidden by face coverings and dark hooded sweatshirts but video surveillance footage of the first sideswiping was released.
A reward of up to $3,500 is being offered for information that leads to their arrest and indictment.
Anyone with information regarding these armed robberies is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging on to the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are strictly confidential.