A brazen gunman waltzed into a Bronx Foot Locker and stole a ton of designer clothing, then whined on his way out that an employee had dared to push him away during the crime, police and officials said Sunday. did.
According to police, an unidentified suspect robbed a store on Third Avenue on April 9 at around 7:45 p.m.
Security guard Lawrence Graham said he collected a stack of Nike sweatshirts and sweatpants. Security guard Lawrence Graham was not working that day, but said he heard about the ordeal from a security guard who was at the scene.
“The guy came in and worked on this right here,” Graham said, pointing to a rack of gray Nike sweats.
“He wiped his clothes from here and took the gun out,” Graham told the Post on Sunday. “He put his gun back and went to his hat. He put his hat on and walked around here and got some more stuff and left right away.”
According to the employee, on his way out, he verbally abused the security guard and asked why the employee had hit him.
“[The guard] “I didn’t hit you. You seem to have everything that’s mine,” Graham said. “We couldn’t stop him because he had a gun. Once he fires the gun, there’s nothing you can do.”
Police said the armed robber strode outside to another man who was waiting on a scooter, and the two fled.
Graham said robberies at Bronx stores aren’t common, but he has seen people snatching hats off shelves. But no one ever pulled out a gun.
Mr. Graham criticized state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, a Bronx Democrat, for blocking Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan earlier this month to stiffen sentences for violent shoplifters.
“I never believe that increasing penalties is a deterrent to crime,” Heastie infamously said at the time.
The storekeeper replied, “I think it’s a bull.”
“If someone is doing the same thing over and over again, like for the first time, leave them alone,” Graham said. “If it’s the second time, you’re going to have to do something about it. Or you’re going to think it’s okay to keep doing what you’re doing.
“They just walked out like nothing happened,” he said of suspects who were released without bail or given lighter sentences. “That’s my view.”
The security guard added that although his store is mostly quiet, he still needs to remain vigilant.
“It wasn’t that wild,” he said. “You can see something going on outside, but it’s not here. It’s not in Foot Locker. We have to be very alert.
“We shouldn’t be following them out of the store,” he said of shoplifters. “[Store officials] We can replace things, but we cannot replace our lives. ”
Police urge 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) I am.
The public can also submit tips on the Crime Stoppers website. https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or @NYPDTips for X.
