Pair Of Knife Wielding Suspects Targets Baby Boutiques In Brooklyn
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police are looking for two men who have been targeting baby boutiques for robberies in Brooklyn.
According to authorities the robberies have followed a similar pattern.
A man enters the store, brandishes a knife, demands money, and flees with cash and any personal property he can get from the clerk. In all three robberies one suspect has gone inside, while another waits outside.
The first robbery took place on Friday April 8, just after 5 p.m. at Area Play at 331 Smith Street. The suspect took $300 in cash and the 27-year-old victim's phone and credit cards.
Some three weeks later on Thursday, April 28, shortly before 5 p.m. the suspects struck again, this time at Pink Olive located at 167 5th Ave. The store was robbed of $841, and a 25-year-old woman lost her phone and credit cards.
The most recent robbery took place at 12:25 p.m. on Tuesday, May 3, at Tiny Brooklyn, a clothing store located at 493 Court Street. The suspect too $245 and the 27-year-old clerk's phone and credit cards.
Tiny Brooklyn owner Rachel Blackburn told CBS2's Vanessa Murdock at the time that the crime caught the neighborhood off guard, and that the suspect carried a sizeable kitchen knife.
"He forced her from here back into here -- this is like our back area -- into this tiny little bathroom," she said as she opened a bathroom door.
The man forced the woman to stay put for about 20 minutes while he searched the store. He cleaned out the register and stole the employees cellphone and wallet, Blackburn said.
"She seems remarkably OK. I mean, physically, she's not harmed. She's not hurt," Blackburn said. "Yesterday, I think she was pretty scared and shaken up."
Blackburn said others have come in asking for money before, but nothing like what happened Tuesday.
Blackburn said she plans to invest in security cameras for her business.
Anyone with information regarding these incidents has been asked to contact the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), tips can also be texted to 274637[CRIMES] enter TIP577. All calls will be kept confidential.
