Disturbing video shows a group of armed robbers in Queens zip-tying five people on a backyard patio and forcing a man at gunpoint inside the residence during a violent home invasion on Friday afternoon.
Police released the footage on Saturday morning of the incident as they continue to seek the suspects involved in the heist, in which the trio stole tens of thousands of dollars in cash.
Police said the trouble began at about 5:19 p.m. on Feb. 19, when the trio of perpetrators confronted a group of five people in the backyard patio of a home near the corner of 146th Street and 116th Avenue in South Jamaica.
According to law enforcement sources, the suspects sneaked into the backyard through an open side entrance and displayed handguns to the five victims. Cops said they ordered the victims to lie on the patio floor.
After the victims complied with the request, authorities said, the suspects restrained each of them with zip ties. They then ordered one victim, a 43-year-old man, to go inside the residence with them.
Once inside the home, according to police, one of the suspects asked the victim, “Where’s the money?” The perpetrator then smacked the victim in the head with his handgun, causing a facial laceration.
Cops said the three gunmen ransacked the residence and removed $40,000 in cash, then fled from the location on foot along 146th Street northbound, before turning eastbound on 116th Avenue.
Officers from the 113th Precinct responded to the home invasion. The pistol-whipped victim refused medical attention at the scene; no other injuries were reported.
Police described the three suspects as follows:
- Individual 1 — An adult man with a dark complexion and a thin build who wore a face mask, a black jacket, a black hooded sweatshirt, black pants and black sneakers.
- Individual 2 — An adult man with a dark complexion and a heavy build who wore a black face mask, a black jacket, black pants and black sneakers.
- Individual 3 — An adult man with a dark complexion and a thin build who wore a blue surgical mask, a gray hooded sweatshirt, black pants, blue gloves and black sneakers while carrying a duffel bag.
Anyone with information regarding the home invasion or the suspects’ whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at nypdcrimestoppers.com, or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
