Teen Arrested in String of Robberies in Queens and Brooklyn

A 17-year-old has been taken into custody, with multiple other suspects still being sought in connection with a spree of 29 robberies that took place over a few weeks. Most of these incidents involved the theft of chains from victims in areas like Queens and Brooklyn, according to the police on Friday.

The boy’s arrest occurred on Tuesday, linked to seven robberies that transpired between July 1 and July 8, as reported by the NYPD.

In six of these instances, he, along with an accomplice, is believed to have stolen chains from men aged 16 to 49 in neighborhoods such as Astoria, Richmond Hill, Bayside, Ozone Park, and Flushing, police detailed.

He faces charges of grand larceny in relation to these crimes, officials stated.

In a separate case, the pair allegedly approached a 41-year-old man on 87th Road near 155th Avenue in Jamaica, stealing his moped on July 1 around 5:10 p.m.

That incident could lead to second-degree robbery charges for the teen, according to authorities.

Police have indicated that several other moped-riding individuals are being sought in relation to the 29 robbery incidents, which began on June 15 in Hunters Point and concluded on July 10 in Richmond Hill.

One particularly alarming incident involved armed robbery, where a crew member fired a gun at a 20-year-old man and attempted to seize his chain on July 10, around 11:15 a.m., on Liberty Avenue near 110th Street in Ozone Park.

The youngest victim was just 14 years old; he was victimized on June 25 when suspects on a moped approached him at 42nd Street and Bell Boulevard in Bayside and stole his chain around 4:30 p.m.

The oldest victim, an 80-year-old man, had his chain stolen close to 70th Avenue and 108th Avenue in Forest Hills on July 5, shortly before midnight.

Among the victims, most were male, except for a 45-year-old woman who was attacked while walking on Manhattan Avenue near Milton Street in Greenpoint around 1:50 p.m. on June 24.

Fortunately, all the robbery victims either sustained no injuries or declined medical assistance.

The NYPD has released surveillance images of two additional suspects who are still unaccounted for, aiming to gather information.

If anyone has tips regarding this case, they are encouraged to contact the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

Information can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website.