New York City police are seeking multiple suspects in connection with a robbery spree involving 29 incidents, primarily targeting victims for their chains. A 17-year-old male was apprehended Tuesday in relation to seven of these robberies that occurred between July 1 and July 8.
According to the NYPD, the arrested teenager and accomplices allegedly stole chains from men aged 16 to 49 in several Queens neighborhoods including Astoria, Richmond Hill, Bayside, Ozone Park, and Flushing. He faces grand larceny charges for these incidents. In another case, the teen is accused of stealing a moped from a 41-year-old man in Jamaica on July 1, facing a second-degree robbery charge.
The broader spree began on June 15 in Hunters Point and concluded on July 10 in Richmond Hill. The incidents involved at least one gunpoint robbery, where a weapon was displayed before a chain was taken from a 20-year-old man in Ozone Park on July 10. The youngest victim was a 14-year-old boy robbed of his chain in Bayside on June 25, while the oldest was an 80-year-old man from whom a chain was forcibly stolen in Forest Hills on July 5.
One of the victims was a 45-year-old woman who was robbed of her chain by moped riders in Greenpoint on June 24. Police reported that all victims either were unharmed or declined medical attention.
The NYPD has released surveillance images of two suspects who remain at large and are asking for the public's assistance. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or submit tips online via the Crime Stoppers website or X (@NYPDTips).