Burglars targeting laundry rooms, packages in Queens, the Bronx
ASTORIA, Queens (WABC) -- Police are looking for three suspects wanted in connection with 19 burglaries in Queens and the Bronx, and they're hoping surveillance video will lead to an arrest.
Authorities say that between October 28 and January 11, two men and a woman went into 18 different apartment buildings and used tools to break into money machines in the laundry room. In each case, they took an unknown amount of money and fled.
At one of those buildings, on 30th Street in Astoria, the suspects also took several packages from the lobby.
"I was shocked, just to see that people could do that, walk into our building," said a building resident, who had a delivery stolen. "We don't feel safe. It's like anyone can come in and steal our stuff. That's not a good feeling."
The suspects allegedly scout each location ahead of time and make sure they bring the right tools to complete the crime, but they apparently didn't account for or care about cameras.
In video obtained exclusively by Eyewitness News, once in the basement the suspects walk right past the building superintendent, Lubo Mustac, and end up in the laundry room.
They check it out and leave empty-handed. On the way, Lubo says he questioned the strangers.
"What are you guys doing...the other guy said to him, he said, oh it's the wrong door," he said. "Did they seem nervous?", we asked. "They seemed, they covered one with glasses," he said.
In the lobby on the way out, the men spot packages in the corner, hesitate and keep walking.
Not so fast. One suspect hangs in the vestibule and a third suspect, a woman, appears.
They circle back and awkwardly grab each and every box, including a 17-pound bag of dog food for one tenant who didn't want to show her face.
"I saw the package outside in the lobby, I was running late so I just left, usual nobody takes anything," she said.
This time they did. Then less than 12 hours after bolting with the boxes, the same suspects return.
This time they come prepared. One man is seen carrying a bag filled with the tools needed to get the job done.
"They took off fast, they break the machine," said Mustac.
Surveillance video:
Police say a light-colored Nissan Pathfinder was used in a number of the incidents. Anyone with information on the case is asked to call 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
