Jul. 24, 2023 By Bill Parry
A man was robbed at knifepoint in broad daylight at the Olive Garden restaurant near the Queens Center mall and nearly a week later, police from the 110th Precinct in Elmhurst are looking for two suspects who remain at large.
The 40-year-old victim was duped into believing the two perpetrators were looking to buy his laptop computer after they expressed interest on Facebook Marketplace, according to authorities. The would-be seller met the two men in the parking lot of the Olive Garden, located at 92-10 59th Ave., alongside the Queens Boulevard exit ramp of the Long Island Expressway, just after 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 18.
Instead of discussing a purchase price, one of the alleged perpetrators pulled out a knife and snatched the laptop before running off, police said. The robbers were last seen bolting into the Woodhaven Boulevard subway station. The victim was not injured during the heist.
The NYPD released surveillance images of the two suspects as they passed through the station turnstiles. They are believed to be between the ages of 18 and 20 and both have light complexions. They were wearing what appeared to be identical multi-colored backpacks.
One of the men was between 5’8” to 5’9” tall with a slim build and was last seen wearing a tan hooded sweatshirt, blue shorts and dark sneakers. The second man was last seen wearing a tan hooded sweatshirt and gray jeans.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.