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Suspect (NYPD)
Aug. 11, 2020 By Michael Dorgan
Police are searching for a man who allegedly choked and robbed two elderly women in their Queens apartment lobbies in two separate incidents.
The suspect first struck on July 28 when he followed a 72-year-old woman into her apartment building in the vicinity of 64th Avenue and 98th Street at around 12:30 p.m., according to police.
The thief grabbed and choked the victim while she was collecting her mail in the lobby before demanding that she hand over her property, police said.
The suspect stole jewelry and cash from the woman that was worth around $500 in total, police said.
He then fled the Rego Park location on foot in an unknown direction and the woman was transferred to LIJ Forest Hills Hospital by EMS with pain and bruising, according to police.
The alleged culprit struck again on Aug. 9 in the vicinity of Queens Boulevard and 67th Drive when he followed a 78-year old woman into her building lobby at around 7:30 p.m.
The assailant, using a similar tactic, choked and threatened the woman before making off with a number of packages that were lying in the lobby.
He fled the Forest Hills scene on foot in an unknown direction. The elderly woman suffered pain and bruising but refused medical attention at the scene, police said.
The suspect is described as male, black and being between 30 and 40 years of age.
Police released video footage of the suspect taken before the first incident at a nearby subway station.
Anyone with information in regard to these incidents 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 CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, or on Twitter @ NYPDTips.
All calls are strictly confidential.