Dec. 26, 2016 By Christian Murray
A cellphone store in Elmhurst and another in Corona have both been robbed at gunpoint in the past month by the same two men who allegedly stuck up a Sprint store in Sunnyside in November.
The two suspects entered T-Mobile at 86-16 Queens Boulevard in Elmhurst on Saturday, December 3, at around 5:35 pm, displayed a firearm and then ordered all the employees to go to the rear of the store. The perpetrators, according to police, allegedly took $600 worth of property and fled the store.
The police said an employee at the T-Mobile chased after the perpetrators and was fired at by one of the suspects. No one was injured.
The Corona robbery took place at the Sprint store at 37-50 Junction Blvd on Wednesday, December 21, at around 12:15 pm. The two men entered the store, produced a firearm and then ordered an employee and two customers to the back of the store where they were bound with tape.
The men removed 218 devices—including iPhones, iPads, Samsung cellphones and tablets—as well as $800 in cash. They also took $700 from one of the customers and $400 from the other. The employee was forced to hand over $30.
The men fled.
These incidents come just weeks after a Sprint store at 46-31 Greenpoint Avenue in Sunnyside was robbed. On that occasion, the men entered the store at about 12:35 pm, November 20, displayed a firearm and approached a 22-year-old female employee. They took off with 45 iPhones and $3,500.
The police have surveillance photos from the Elmhurst incident.
They describe the suspects as both being black, with one of the suspects being approximately 5’10,” of dark complexion and having a Caesar style haircut. That man was wearing a black baseball hat, black face mask, a black hooded sweatshirt, black paints and tan gloves.
The second suspect is approximately 6’2” and 250 pounds, with dark complexion and dread locks. He was wearing a brown coat, a blue hooded sweatshirt, black pants, tan shoes and a tan shirt over his face.
Anyone with information regarding these incidents is asked to call NYPD’s Crimestoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477)