A hammer-wielding bandit who shoplifted from a 7-Eleven in Midtown on Tuesday and fled with a cowboy hat and breakfast treats remains at large, police reported.
According to law enforcement sources, on May 14 at around 12:30 a.m., the suspect entered the 7-Eleven store at 555 W. 42 St. and stuffed his pockets with tasty treats including a box of cereal, milk and a donut. He also grabbed a cowboy hat, all valued at approximately $14.
But the situation escalated when a store employee confronted the brazen robber for attempting to walk out without paying, police said. The perp, while still holding on to his loot and donning the hat, pulled out two hammers and swung them in the direction of the employee.
The incident was reported to the 10th Precinct; there were no injuries. The hammers were not recovered at the scene, police said.
The NYPD released a photo of the suspect on May 14. He is not shown wearing the cowboy hat in the picture.
The individual is described as a male with a straightened perm hairstyle, last seen wearing a long black jacket, and carrying two hammers.
Anyone with information regarding this incident can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips.
All calls and messages are kept confidential
