QUEENS, N.Y. – Police are searching for two individuals connected to a string of armed robberies targeting teenage boys and young men across Corona and Elmhurst in mid-December, where victims were surrounded by a group, threatened with knives, and robbed of high-end clothing and sneakers.
According to the NYPD, the first incident occurred on the afternoon of December 12, when a 14-year-old boy near 42-01 99th Street was cornered by a group of suspects. The attackers displayed a knife and forced the teen to hand over his The North Face jacket and other belongings before fleeing. Roughly 90 minutes later, a 13-year-old was similarly robbed near 99-31 Corona Avenue of his backpack and personal items.
Three days later, on December 15, the same group is believed to have struck again. Around 2:35 p.m., a 16-year-old was surrounded near 93-35 Lamont Avenue and forced to surrender his Jordan sneakers. Less than an hour later, a 19-year-old man on Elbertson Street was robbed of a $330 North Face jacket at knifepoint. At 3:45 p.m., a 21-year-old near 46-01 102nd Street was punched multiple times before his $1,200 Balenciaga sneakers were taken.
The most recent known attack happened on December 19 around 7:25 p.m., when a 14-year-old near 96-23 42nd Avenue was robbed of his jacket and sneakers. No serious injuries were reported in any of the incidents, though police described the pattern as increasingly aggressive.
Investigators released descriptions of two suspects sought in connection with the robberies. The first is a male with a light complexion, last seen wearing a black Moose Knuckles jacket, black jeans, and white Jordan sneakers. The second is also a light-complexioned male, last seen in a black hooded sweatshirt, shorts, and black sneakers.
Anyone with information about the suspects or the robbery pattern is urged to contact the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.