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Woman, 81; Girl, 4, Targeted In Upper West Side Robberies

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police on Wednesday were searching for a suspect in two robberies within a period of minutes in broad daylight on the Upper West Side.

One of the robberies targeted an 81-year-old woman, the other a 4-year-old girl.

Around 2:20 p.m. this past Thursday, the suspect shoved the 81-year-old woman to the floor inside the Post Office at 178 Columbus Ave., police said. The suspect took the woman's purse, police said.

The woman suffered bruising and pain to her back and left wrist, police said. She was taken to Mount Sinai St. Luke's Hospital and her condition was reported to be stable, police said.

The items in the woman's purse included $65, a cellphone, and her medication, police said.

Eight minutes later, the suspect walked into the Chase Bank at 2030 Broadway with the woman's purse in hand and took out its contents, police said. At one of the bank's ATMs, a 37-year-old woman was withdrawing money from with her two children – girls ages 4 years and 5 months old – in tow, police said.

The 4-year-old girl took the money from the ATM, and the suspect came up from behind and snatched it out of her right hand, police said.

The suspect left the bank and headed east on 70th Street with $300 and the girl's glove, police said.

The suspect was described as a black male 20 to 25 years old, standing 5 feet 4 to 5 feet 6 inches. He was last seen wearing a black hooded sweater, a green flight jacket, gray sweatpants and gray sneakers.

Police have released surveillance images and video of the suspect, as well as video from the incident at the ATM.

UWS Robbery Suspect
Police say this man targeted an 81-year-old woman and a 4-year-old girl in two robberies on the Upper West Side. (Credit: NYPD)

Anyone with information was asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS or (888) 57-PISTA for Spanish, log onto the Crime Stoppers website, or text tips to 274637 (CRIMES) and enter TIP577.

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