Police Search For Suspects Wanted In 19 Queens Robberies
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police have released new surveillance video with hopes of finding several suspects wanted in connection with up to 19 violent robberies in Queens.
Police believe two or three suspects are involved in the robbery spree, targeting victims in a three-mile radius between Elmhurst and Corona.
27-year-old Augustin Morales was one of those victims.
"They hit me in my head so I don't know what happened, I lost conscious you know?" he said to CBS2's Scott Rapoport.
Morales says the attack happened on 35th Avenue and 104th Street as he was returning home early one morning in January.
They took his jacket, his watch, his phone, his wallet, and a paycheck according to Morales.
Police say the victims are all men between the ages of 24 and 51-years-old.
The suspects, believed to be men in their 20s, typically attack between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Police say the suspects typically strike the victim and knock them to the ground before stealing their wallets or cell phones.
"It's disturbing because you think you're safe in your own neighborhood," Elmhurst resident Johnny Him said.
"You don't feel safe, even for your children to be around here around nighttime," Corona resident JEsus Uzhca said.
The attacks began on Dec. 28, with the last attack occurring on Cornish Avenue and Broadway in Elmhurst on Feb. 6. Several hours before that, the suspects attacked a separate victim just several blocks away.
Police say none of the victims in the 19 incidents suffered any serious injuries, but are asking anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers by calling (800) 577-TIPS, logging on to their website at www.NYPDCrimeStoppers.com or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) and entering TIP577. Tips can remain anonymous.
