Ozone Park Cellphone Robber On The Loose

Still image of suspected cellphone robbery suspect. Inset photo courtesy of the NYPD. Background image via Google Maps.

By Christina Carrega

Police are on the hunt for an armed cellphone bandit who robbed four women throughout Ozone Park last month.

The alleged thief's robbery spree began on Dec. 7 near 80th Street and Glenmore Avenue where he allegedly displayed a gun to a 53-year-old woman and demanded that she give over money and her cellphone. The man ran off with $40 and her Alcatel phone, police said.

Two days later near 81st Street and 97th Avenue, a 28-year-old woman was confronted by the armed suspect and told to turn over cash. The suspect ripped the woman’s Samsung Galaxy phone out of her hands before fleeing.

The bandit took a break from the spree for ten days, until Dec. 19 when he approached a 17-year-old girl near 88th Street and 103rd Avenue. Still armed with a gun, he demanded that the teen to give him money. Instead, the man took the girl’s iPhone and ran, police said.

The suspect’s last reported robbery happened on Dec. 21 when a 60-year-old woman was confronted by the suspect on 115th Street near 107th Avenue.

That attack was captured on video surveillance and showed the woman resisting the gunman’s attempt for her handbag before being knocked to the ground. The thief removed her bag, which had $452 in cash, a debit card and her cellphone, police said.

The suspected robber is described as an black man, between the ages 30 to 40. He was seen wearing a dark-colored snorkel jacket and a winter cap.

Anyone with information in regard to these incidents 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 NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, on Twitter @NYPDTips or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

All calls are strictly confidential.