Boys, 14 And 15, Charged With Robbing Queens Electronics Store, Attacking Owner And Wife
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Two boys, ages 14 and 15, were arrested and charged this week in the violent robbery of an electronics store in Elmhurst, Queens.
The boys – identified by police as Alex Diaz, 15, of Brooklyn; and Ronald Espinoza, 14, of Queens – allegedly stormed into JC Electronics, at 85-04 Grand Ave. in Queens, and announced a robbery around 4 p.m. Tuesday, police said. Both were armed with firearms, police said.
Diaz then went behind the counter where the owner of the business, a 38-year-old man, began to struggle with him, police alleged. Both suspects then began to pistol-whip the owner in the head, and tried to cut him with a knife, police said.
The owner's wife tried to help him, but she was also assaulted, police said.
The suspects took cash from the register, and then went to the back of the store and took cellphones that were being prepared, police said.
The owner's daughter, who had fled to the basement, called 911 and told police what had happened, police said. The suspects ran off toward a nearby Grand Avenue-Newtown M and R train station with the owner in tow, police said.
A male Good Samaritan saw the suspects running and the owner chasing them, and directed responding officers to the subway station, police said. Officers from the 110th Precinct and Transit District 20 were able to catch them and recover the stolen items, police said.
Both Diaz and Espinoza were charged with robbery, assault, criminal use of a firearm, criminal possession of stolen property, and criminal possession of a weapon, police said.
Police released a photo of three air pistols and a gravity knife allegedly recovered from the suspects, and the $468 they allegedly took.
The electronics store owner and his wife were taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center, where they were treated for lacerations to their heads and faces and released, police said.
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