A Brooklyn teen stole this French bulldog at gunpoint at the Queensbridge Houses on Christmas day. Photo courtesy of the NYPD
Dec. 29, 2023 By Bill Parry
A Brooklyn teenager was charged with criminal possession of a weapon, petit larceny and other crimes in the gunpoint theft of a French Bulldog from another teen at the NYCHA Queensbridge Houses in Long Island City on Christmas Day.
Queensbridge Houses. QNS file photo
The teenage defendant, of Sheffield Avenue in Brooklyn, allegedly pointed a firearm at the 15-year-old dog owner before snatching the pooch, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced on Wednesday, withholding the gunman’s identity because he is a minor.
According to the charges, on Dec. 25 at 9 a.m., the 15-year-old victim was walking his pup when the defendant approached him in front of 41-14 10th St. in the Queensbridge Houses. The alleged perpetrator held a gun to the victim’s chest, demanded he hand over the dog, and then told the 15-year-old he had five seconds to run away. The dog owner dropped the leash and ran for cover.
The victim called housing police from Public Service Area 9, who spotted the perpetrator around 15 minutes later three blocks away in the vicinity of 38-16 10th St. The officer observed the teen throwing the firearm over a fence.
Housing cops from PSA 9 spotted the perpetrator about 15 minutes later throwing his handgun into a parking lot. Photo courtesy of the NYPD
Police recovered a 9 mm handgun containing 12 rounds of ammunition from a parking lot on the opposite side of the fence where the teen threw it and took him into custody.
Cops recovered a 9 mm handgun with 12 rounds of ammunition and took the teen into custody before returning the pup to its owner. Photo courtesy of the NYPD
The French Bulldog was returned to its owner.
“Pulling a gun in broad daylight to steal a dog and then casually taking the animal for a stroll in a kind of dangerous brazenness we will not tolerate under any circumstance,” Katz said. “The defendant will have to answer to the charges against him.”
The teenager was arraigned Tuesday before Queens Criminal Court Judge Leigh Cheng where he was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, two counts of criminal possession of a firearm, menacing, petit larceny, and criminal possession of stolen property. He was ordered to return to court on Jan. 9.
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