Police recovered the $500,000 worth of jewelry that was stolen from a man in Astoria hours later in Bayside and two siblings from College Point were arrested. NYPD
Dec. 19, 2024 By Bill Parry
A pair of siblings from College Point were arrested in Bayside on the morning of Friday, Dec. 13, and criminally charged in connection to a violent jewel heist in Astoria hours earlier.
Brayan Pulido-Pineda, 23, and his sister, Sandy Pulido, 21, both from the same address on 11th Avenue in College Point, were taken into custody by police from the 111th Precinct in Bayside after a brief car chase.
Investigators determined they were in possession of $500,000 worth of jewelry stolen from a 50-year-old man who was beaten and robbed by three masked men in Astoria.
The victim was beaten and robbed in front of Rosa’s Pizza on 21st Street in Astoria. QNS/file
The victim was transporting a large inventory of jewelry on the night of Thursday, Dec. 12, when he got out of his vehicle in front of Rosa’s Pizza at 31-01 21st St. just before 10 p.m. He noticed three masked men exiting a vehicle who proceeded to punch and kick him and forcibly remove a bag containing the jewelry, according to the criminal complaint.
Police from the 114th Precinct in Astoria responded to the scene. The victim told them the bag also contained an Apple AirTag tracking device. The victim sustained minor injuries but refused medical treatment.
A detective from the Queens Borough North anti-crime unit tracked the stolen briefcase to the intersection of 217th Street and 48th Avenue in Bayside hours later. A cop from the 111th Precinct went to investigate and spotted a black 2014 Mazda sedan stopped at the location with the engine running.
The brother and sister from College Point led police on a chase through Bayside before crashing into a fence in front of this home on 217th Street. Via Google Maps
When he approached the car on foot, the vehicle took off. He gave chase in his vehicle and watched as the Mazda sped through numerous red lights until it crashed into a fence in front of a home at 42-02 217th St. at 1:16 a.m.
The officer saw Sandy Pulido emerge from the driver’s side and Brayan Pulido-Pineda emerged from the passenger side and attempted to make a run for it. He was apprehended in front of a home at 42-12 217th St. He then found his sister behind that home, hiding underneath a truck, according to the criminal complaint.
The bag containing the stolen jewelry was recovered from the vehicle and returned to the victim, police said Sunday.
The siblings were booked at the 111th Precinct in Bayside, where Sandy Pulido told detectives her brother had called her and asked to be picked up near the Whitestone Bridge.
“He told me he took something and that he was in trouble,” she said. “The police stopped us and I was driving. I drove away from the police because I was nervous because he told me that he was in trouble.”
She added, “I tried to get away from the police, and I crashed the car. I ran out of the car and hid under a truck,” according to the criminal complaint.
The brother and sister were arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on Saturday, Sept. 14. Brayan Pulido was charged with criminal possession of stolen property, Sandy Pulido was charged with criminal possession of stolen property, and they were additionally charged with reckless endangerment, reckless driving, and driving with tinted windows.
The other two suspects in the Astoria jewelry heist remain at large, police said.
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