Q65 Bus Bandit Wanted For Snatching Women’s Purses

Photo of robbery suspect onboard the Q65 bus Dec. 15. Photo courtesy of the NYPD

By Christina Carrega

Police are on the hunt for a bus bandit accused of stalking and robbing women of their handbags after they exit the Q65 bus.

From Oct. 29 to Dec. 23, police received reports of an black man wearing a hooded, fur-lined black winter coat who allegedly pushed women to the ground after they got off the bus. The suspect would then rob the women of their purses.

Photographs of the alleged purse snatcher were released by the NYPD on Saturday from the Dec. 15 and Dec. 23 incidents.

The robber is accused of attacking 41, 34 and 62-year-old women in Flushing and Kew Gardens Hills. The Q65 bus drives through Auburndale, College Point, Flushing, Hillcrest and Jamaica.

During the late-night attacks, which all happened between 10 p.m. and after midnight, the suspect followed the women off the bus and threw them to the ground before lifting their pocketbooks. None of the women were seriously injured and all refused medical attention, police said.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, on Twitter @NYPDTips or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

All calls are strictly confidential.