Suspected chain-snatcher wanted for targeting a half dozen women across Queens during month-long crime spree: NYPD

The robbery spree began in the confines of the 113th Precinct on Wednesday, June 24, where a 37-year-old female victim was at the intersection of 111th Avenue and Merrick Boulevard in St. Albans just before 4:30 p.m. when the suspect approached her from and forcibly removed her gold pendant from her neck, police said. The perpetrator fled on foot southbound on Merrick Boulevard toward Archie Spigner Park. The victim sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene. The value of her stolen property is approximately $1,000, police said.

Just over an hour later the suspect allegedly struck again at the intersection of Merrick Boulevard and Linden Boulevard where he approached a 65-year-old woman from behind at 5:30 p.m. Police say he snatched two necklaces and ran off southbound on Merrick Boulevard toward 115th Avenue. The victim suffered minor injuries but was not hospitalized and the value of her stolen jewelry has not been determined.

The suspect headed north and struck again a half hour later in the 103rd Precinct where a 61-year-old woman was walking to her vehicle that was parked across from 89-12 164th St. in Jamaica at 5:30 p.m. The suspect approached her from behind and forcibly removed her necklace before running southbound on 164th Street. The victim sustained minor injuries to her neck and was treated at the scene. The value of the stolen necklace was estimated at $1,800, police said.

Police say the one-man crime spree resumed on the afternoon of Friday, July 10 in the confines of the 110th Precinct in Elmhurst. A 62-year-old woman was walking near the intersection of Roosevelt Avenue and 74th Street at 12:30 p.m. when the perpetrator approached her from behind and snatched her necklace before running off in an unknown direction. The victim suffered minor injuries but was not hospitalized. The value of the stolen necklace was $1,250, police said.

The final two robberies took place in the confines of the 108th Precinct. On the night of Saturday, July 18 at around 7:30 p.m., a 29-year-old woman was walking past 69-09 Roosevelt Ave. in Woodside when the suspect ran up from behind and grabbed her necklace before sprinting away in an unknown direction. The victim sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene while the stolen necklace is approximately $600, police said. 

Two days later, on Monday, July 20, the suspect targeted a 17-year-old girl who was walking near the transit hub on Roosevelt Avenue at 61st Street in Woodside just before 1:20 p.m., when he snatched her necklace and pendant from her neck before running off westbound on Roosevelt Avenue. The victim was not injured and her stolen necklace was later recovered at the scene but the pendant, valued at $400, was not.

The NYPD released surveillance images of the suspect and described him as having a dark complexion with a slim build. He wore a blue hooded sweatshirt and red shorts during the robbery in the 110th Precinct and a dark gray hoodie with dark gray shorts and black sneakers during his last robbery in Woodside.

A reward of up to $3,500 is being offered for information that leads to his arrest and indictment.

Anyone with information regarding these robberies is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline or on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.