Police are looking for suspects who are connected to two separate robberies where the crooks impersonated police officers.
According to police, at 8 p.m. on March 8, an unknown man distracted a security guard at a multi-unit residential building in the vicinity of East 116 Street and Fifth Avenue. While he was distracted, two more unknown men wearing masks entered the building and used the stairs to go to a 71-year-old man’s apartment.
Once the suspects gained entry to the apartment, the suspects identified themselves as police and held a gun to the victim as they secured him with zip ties and a belt. After hitting the victim with a taser multiple times, the suspects took the victim’s New York Yankees ring valued at $1,800, a watch valued at $1,100 and $5,000 cash. The suspects then fled in an unknown direction.
Police released video taken from the scene:
The suspects are described as men: the first suspect who distracted the guard was last seen wearing a blue jacket and a brown cap. The second suspect was last seen wearing dark-color clothing, a hat, backpack and a mask while the third suspect was wearing dark-color clothing, a hat and a mask.
Another police impersonating robbery was reported in Manhattan on March 27. At 2:14 p.m. that day, an unknown man entered a grocery store, located at 3553 Broadway, wearing a police shield around his next and holding a clipboard. Once inside, the suspect approached a store clerk and demanded medical face masks. After he got the masks, the suspect fled the scene in an unknown direction.
On May 1, the NYPD released images of the suspect taken from the scene:
The suspect as a 45-year-old dark-skinned man with a medium build. He was last seen wearing a black skull cap, blue jean jacket, dark-colored pants, light brown work boots and a blue medical mask over his face.
At this time, it is not immediately clear if the two crimes are connected.
Anyone with information in regard to either incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls are strictly confidential.
