Police are looking for four male suspects wanted in connection to nine separate robberies since late October.
The group targeted smoke shops in all nine incidents, and two of them took place on the UES.
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The first incident on record happened on Sunday, October 22 at about 10:50 p.m., when the suspects entered Mr. Bee Convenience at 1269 First Avenue between 68th and 69th streets. They stole a tobacco grinder and then attempted to gain access to the cash register, but a 25-year-old male employee chased them out of the store and held the front door shut to prevent them from re-entering, police said. There was a brief struggle during which they tried to get back in, and the store employee sustained a small laceration to his hand. The suspects fled in an unknown direction.
On Wednesday, November 15 at approximately 7:20 p.m., the suspects entered the smoke shop at 403 East 70th Street between First and York avenues and approached the 23-year-old male employee to make a purchase. The suspects then forcibly pushed the employee and gained access behind the counter where they began to remove approximately $1,225 in store merchandise. No injuries were reported and the suspects fled in an unknown direction.
Police describe the suspects as “four males approximately in their early 20s, with dark complexions and slim builds.”
Anyone with relevant information 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 or by sending a direct message to @NYPDTips on Twitter. All calls are strictly confidential.
