By The newspaper
13 Jul 2024, 13:56 PM EDT
Eating out has become a nightmare for some in New York, with many victims of robbery in restaurants, especially at tables that have spread to the sidewalks and streets since the pandemic.
New York police are currently searching for several suspects who they say are attacking diners at upscale restaurants in the city, robbing them of watches, jewelry and cellphones at gunpoint.
One gang in particular has struck at least six times since March and tends to target men who wear expensive watches. So far they have stolen more than $300,000 worth of belongings, he said. CBS News. NYPD released photos of the wanted suspects.
The first incident took place on March 27 at around 7:30 p.m. near the Charlie Bird restaurant in Manhattan’s West Village. According to police, two suspects “on a two-wheeled vehicle” approached the victim and brandished a silver handgun. They stole the victim’s watch, valued at $65,000, and fled.
They struck again inside the now-closed Dos Caminos restaurant at West Broadway and Houston Street on May 24 at 4:46 p.m. In that incident, three men were eating when two suspects approached them. One of the suspects strangled a victim and the other pulled out a silver handgun. They stole the trio’s watches, worth $40,000, $35,000 and $8,500, and fled on a two-wheeled vehicle as well.
Other incidents followed a similar pattern. At 6:50 p.m. on May 31, two people dining at Marlow & Sons in Brooklyn were robbed of their watches at gunpoint. Then on June 18 at 8:46 p.m., a 39-year-old man was robbed at gunpoint of his $100,000 watch outside Carbone restaurant on Thompson St. in Manhattan. Just three days later, at Birds of a Feather on Grand St. in Brooklyn, two more diners were robbed at gunpoint.
The most recent incident occurred on June 26 at 7:45 p.m. near Minetta Tavern in the West Village, where a 58-year-old man was robbed at gunpoint of his watch, valued at $40,000, and a bracelet valued at $2,000.
No arrests have been made. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) and for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). They can also be reached at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or by texting 274637 (CRIMES) followed by TIP577. All communications are strictly confidential.