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Burglar strikes three Astoria nail salons, wanted for at least 10 break-ins citywide: NYPD

Cops are looking for this suspect, who has broken into nail salons in Astoria and Dutch Kills in addition to other commercial establishments in Brooklyn and Manhattan in recent months. NYPD

Feb. 18, 2025 By Bill Parry

Police from the 114th Precinct in Astoria are still looking for a burglar who allegedly targeted three nail salons in recent months, and similar commercial establishments in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

His biggest score went down on the morning of Saturday, Dec. 28, when the suspect broke into Athena’s Nails in Astoria located at 31-11 30th Ave., by breaking a front lock at 4:40 a.m. Once inside, he removed approximately $3,500 and fled the location.

The burglar allegedly broke into Athena’s Nails at 31-11 30th Ave. in Astoria in December, making off with $3,500 in cash, police said. Via Google Maps

Eight days later, the burglar allegedly broke into Piccolo Nails at 42-23 35th Ave. in Astoria by breaking a front lock at around 5:40 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 5., and removed a safe before leaving the shop. Investigators reported the safe was empty when it was stolen.

He first struck in the confines of the 114th Precinct on the morning of Thursday, Dec. 12, when he broke the lock on a salon in the Dutch Kills section of Long Island City and slipped inside LIC Nail & Spa, located at 23-01 41st Ave. just before 3:30 a.m. The perpetrator stole approximately $500 from the cash register and ran off.

The suspect remains at large, an NYPD spokeswoman said Tuesday. He is also wanted for breaking into three commercial establishments in Manhattan and four times in Brooklyn.

There were no injuries in each of his ten burglaries because he operated during overnight hours.

The NYPD released surveillance images of the suspect and described him as having a light complexion with a dark mustache.

Anyone with information regarding these burglaries 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 crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are confidential.

Through Feb. 9, the 114th Precinct has reported 15 burglaries so far in 2025, 11 fewer than the 26 reported at the same point last year, a decline of 42.3%, according to the most recent CompStat report.

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