NEW YORK, NY – Police are investigating a diamond and jewelry store robbery in downtown Flushing where thieves made off with over $500,000 in merchandise, but not before beating a 79-year-old female store employee.
On Wednesday, at around 2:30 p.m., two unidentified men entered the Diamonds by Direct jewelry store inside One Fulton Square and took over a half-million dollars worth of jewelry.
Detectives with the NYPD’s 109th Precinct reported the two men entered the store displaying firearms. One of the suspects punched and kicked a 79-year-old female worker before pistol-whipping her in the head with his gun, causing her to fall to the ground, injured.
The suspects removed more than $500,000 worth of merchandise before fleeing the scene on foot. They were later spotted entering a black Mercedes sedan, and fleeing the area on College Point Boulevard.
At this time, the suspects have not been arrested.
The 79-year-old woman was taken to New York Hospital in Queens where she was listed in stable condition, recovering from injuries sustained during the assault.
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 or on Twitter @NYPDTips.