The first robbery happened at a coffee shop at 1574 1st Avenue on the East Side around 5:30 p.m. on May 1. The suspect, armed with a knife, tried to open a cash register. When that failed, he grabbed the tip jar and took off in a waiting dark-colored pick-up truck.
Around midnight, the suspect, this time armed with a syringe, entered a deli at 2141 3rd Avenue and demanded money. The clerk refused and the suspect fled in a waiting dark colored pick-up truck.
Around 7:45 in the morning on May 2, the suspect entered a restaurant located at 42nd and Broadway, and asked if 19-year-old woman if she could change a dollar. When the victim opened the register, the suspect went behind the counter and attempted to take money out of the register, but again failed. The suspect then pushed the victim to the floor and demanded her cell phone. He then reached into her pocket, removed her phone and ran outside where he threw her phone to the floor, breaking it. The suspect then ran off. The victim refused medical aid on scene.
Fifteen minutes later, the suspect entered a restaurant located at 1944 Amsterdam Avenue and, while simulating a gun in his pocket, demanded money from a 40-year-old woman. The victim complied and the suspect fled the scene on foot. No word how much money he took. No injuries were reported.
The suspect is described as a 25-30 year old Hispanic man, 5'10"-6' tall wearing a dark colored jacket with white rings around the sleeves and blue Nike sneakers. The suspect wore the same clothes in all the incidents.
Anyone with information in regards to any of these robberies is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.
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