July 27, 2020 By Michael Dorgan
Two Sunnyside businesses were broken into last week as the number of reported burglaries in the precinct spike.
Sunnyside Pizza, located at 40-01 Queens Blvd., was hit on July 25 at around 9:30 p.m. when a suspect broke through the glass front door, police said.
The thief rummaged through the premises and stole $200 from the register. The assailant then fled the location, police said.
Bar 43, located at 43-06 43rd St., was targeted on July 19 at around 11:30 p.m. when a suspect broke a lock on the front door to the building.
The suspect stole cash, a register and DVR camera before fleeing the scene, police said.
No arrests have been made in either incident and investigations are ongoing, police said.
The number of reported burglaries in the 108 Police Precinct–which covers Sunnyside, Woodside and Long Island City– has risen sharply this year. There were 87 reported burglaries in the precinct from Jan. 1 through July 19 compared to 36 for the same period last year, according to NYPD data.
Nick Murphy, co-owner of Bar 43, said that it was disappointing that thieves were targeting Sunnyside businesses at a time when many are trying to get back on their feet.
“The Sunnyside community has been great supporting us all,” Murphy said. “This is a real shame. It’s just sad.”