Aug. 8, 2024 By Bill Parry
A teenager evaded danger on Monday night as he was approached by two masked robbers who pulled out knives while demanding his cash and property in the vicinity of Queens Boulevard and 42nd Street in Sunnyside.
The perpetrators began tailing the 18-year-old as he walked past a row of shuttered businesses, including the Sunnyside Center Cinemas, the original P.J. Horgan’s pub and restaurant and the Dime Savings Bank, at around 8 p.m. on Aug. 5.
Police from the 108th Precinct in Long Island City reported that the victim took off running towards 43rd Avenue and was not injured during the ordeal, adding that his assailants fled westbound on Queens Boulevard and remain at large.
The NYPD released surveillance images of the two suspects on Wednesday and described them as having medium complexions and in their teens. One rode a Blade scooter and had long dark hair. He wore a white t-shirt, blue jeans, black sneakers and a blue facemask. His accomplice also wore a blue facemask, a black hooded sweatshirt, white shorts and black sneakers. He also wore a black backpack.
A reward of up to $3,500 is being offered for information that leads to their arrest.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation 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 kept confidential.
Through Aug. 4, the 108th Precinct has reported 149 robberies so far in 2024, six fewer than the 155 that were reported at the same point last year, a decline of 3.9%, according to the most recent CompStat report.