Oct. 5, 2023 By Michael Dorgan
Police have released photos of two SUV-riding suspects wanted for shooting a man in Astoria last month and robbing two women at gunpoint.
The incident unfolded during the early hours of Sept. 25 when the 40-year-old male victim parked his 2021 Mercedes AMG in the vicinity of 41st Street and 25th Avenue to drop off two female passengers, according to police.
The women – aged 21 and 24 – got out of the car at around 4:50 a.m. before the two suspects arrived on the scene and started shooting at the vehicle, cops said.
The driver was struck in the left arm as he hit the gas and sped away from the scene in the luxury high-performance Mercedes, police said.
The suspects then robbed the two women at gunpoint, stealing their iPhones and $1,600 cash, cops said.
The two assailants then fled the location in a white crossover SUV to parts unknown, the NYPD said.
It is unclear how or if the suspects knew ahead of time that the car was going to pull into the location, or what their initial intent was.
Police describe the suspects as males with dark complexions. The first perpetrator has a slim build and was last seen wearing a blue hooded jacket, black pants and black sneakers.
The second suspect has a medium build with a black beard, he was last seen wearing a brown hooded sweatshirt, black pants and white sneakers, police said.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident 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 https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls are strictly confidential.
There have been 207 robberies so far this year in the 114th Precinct through Oct. 1, up 10.1% compared to the same time last year, according to police data.