Distinctive multicolored underwear helps police nab robbery suspect in Queens

ByAaron Katersky WABC logo
Wednesday, November 22, 2023
Smoke shop robbery suspect identified by his underwear
Police say the suspect's distinctive underwear sticking out from his pants is what helped lead them to his arrest.

QUEENS (WABC) -- Police in New York identified an armed robbery suspect in part by his multi-colored underwear, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday.

Fathy Hussein, while still on probation for a weapons offense, participated in a violent gunpoint robbery of a tobacco and smoke shop in Queens, according to federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, who charged Hussein with Hobbs Act robbery.

It was just before 6 p.m. on Sept. 14, 2022 when Hussein and two other men wearing masks exited a black Mazda 3 Sedan and entered the shop. Two of the robbers immediately pointed firearms at store employees and customers while Hussein ran behind the checkout counter and emptied money from the register, the complaint said.

The trio stole about $3,000 in cash, $1,000 of CBD and marijuana products, and four cell phones.

Video cameras captured the entire robbery inside and outside the tobacco shop. All three men can be seen in video footage wearing distinctive clothes.

Hussein wore dark green pants with distinctive multicolored underwear showing above the waistband. The pattern visible on the underwear includes a large white letter "R" and text resembling the year "1990" in yellow, prosecutors said.

According to detectives, the robbers tried to sell what they stole a short time later in a nearby part of Queens. Security camera footage from that location showed Hussein and his distinctive underwear, prompting police to go out and arrest him.

The two other robbers are still at large.

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Tom Negovan has the details.

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