Police say they’re searching for two men who are stealing watches, wallets and other items in neighborhoods across the city – each time driving off in a white Mercedes-Benz sedan.
Officials said the duo has been involved in six armed robberies this month alone – from as far as Auburndale, Queens, to West Concourse in the Bronx, to Gravesend in Brooklyn. Police said they’ve threatened victims with a gun to steal cash, wallets and watches ranging from $10,000 to $90,000 in value.
In two other instances, the men allegedly tried to break into private homes. On Sept. 5, police said they tried to burgle a house near 150th Street and Third Avenue in Whitestone, Queens, and pitched a rock through the window when they were unsuccessful. Officials said the 30-year-old homeowner was there at the time. They allegedly tried to do something similar on Sept. 13 at a home near 131 Street and 131 Avenue in South Jamaica, but were also unable to get inside and fled the scene.
No serious injuries have been reported in a majority of the incidents, but a 63-year-old man was hurt on Sept. 22 when he put up a fight as the duo tried to rob him near Bell Boulevard in Bayside. Police said the men punched him in the face several times and ran off with his wallet, but he refused medical attention.
The through-line for every incident, according to police, is the getaway car: a white Mercedes-Benz sedan with tinted windows and a sunroof.
Police are asking anyone with information to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). People can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or on Twitter @NYPDTips.