Oct. 9, 2017 By Christian Murray
Three men robbed a grocery store on Ditmars Boulevard this morning taking $600 in cash, according to police.
Two of the perpetrators entered Ditmars Candy & Grocery, located at 28-05 Ditmars Blvd, at about 9 am while a third man came in shortly after and blocked the door, police said.
The bodega owner, upon realizing what was happening, ran from behind the counter and tried to get out the front door, according to police. While heading out the store, one of the alleged perpetrators grabbed him by the shirt and took $500 from his left pants pocket.
The victim, 35, was able to get out the front door. Meanwhile the suspects, believed to be three black men in their 30s, exited via a back door. They allegedly took $100 from the register.
No arrest have been made and the victim was uninjured, police said.
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27 Comments
I moved from Steinway to Ditmars and it is just as bad! At least most shops on Steinway close down at night. I live on Ditmars for two months and I can not sleep because of all the late night noise and traffic! Astoria is not what realtors try to make it out to be. The citbike stations are atrocious! Now I can add more robberies and assaults that i seen and heard about to my list.
Damn again!!!
I walk my dog by this area daily. Its scary. I am glad I got a home alarm security system.
Your dog walks you. Try cleaning up after your dog
This robbery took place on a holiday. There are so many children and teens on that block during that time when schools are open. I am glad no one is hurt. This store is a block away from a house of worship and across the street from a bagel shop that many officers visit. Astoria is now like any other neighborhood in NYC. Crime can happen anywhere at anytime.
It very good,the guy was ok hope they catch who did it its a shame whay people do,these days and it so very sad to,read stuff,like this shit,
Not the first time this spots been robbed on a smash and grab type of thing
It is so sad. And I can imagine how difficult it is for all the store workers in Astoria that this is happening to. In addition to emotional and physical pain and stress, robberies like this make it hard to run a business. These workers also have bills to pay and people to feed. Please support local business like this one. Some things you would normally buy at CVS can be found here. A can of soda, juice, water, gum, newspapers, household items, food etc everything you can purchase helps. Let us send a message to these workers that we value their business and support them.
While the police are investigating the robbery maybe they can walk a couple of doors down and do something about the “Massage” parlor as well.
You mean get a massage themselves?
What two consenting adults do behind closed doors should not be any of your business and certainly none of the business of the cops. You sound jealous.
Why yoo no mind you bisness
Sheesh. This keeps happenening. I might have to move to westoria.
Incidents like this finally convinced my parents to move out of Astoria and live with my brother and his family on LI. Finally we can rent out their place.
People are already seeking new and better trendy areas like Sunnyside and Woodside…ask any realtor
Woodside ,,,trendy?
Really. ..
These are probably thieves trying to take advantage of Astoria’s reputation as being safe, quiet, and “trendy” (at least that is what developers like people looking to buy or rent here to believe). We need more cops patrolling our streets. Things may get worse. I live around the corner from this area. I am so glad I installed a security system in my home this summer with all the crime. We work during the day and I am not taking any chances.
Many robberies do not happen at random. Thieves typically scope out an area and look for an easy target and get away. With all the crowds (from everywhere) and places that stay open so late on Ditmars they know they can easily blend in. Residential breaks ins that have been taken place usually do not make it to the media unless there is surveillance video. Be careful people!
They don’t say that there were guns – hopefully there were not. It’s fortunate that no one got hurt.
IMO, bodega owners would be smart to unblock the site lines on their windows and they would be less attractive to criminal opportunists.
they all need surveillance cameras and alarms. they should also install bell buzzers so they know who is coming in and out. the day will soon come when we will only be paying with credit cards and phones. No cash signs would be a big help in this neighborhood lately (but we must deal with the present).
9AM in the morning – wtf!!! This crap just keeps getting worse. At least the owner did not get hurt or worse yet shot – for a six hundred dollars.
Great job Bill! You know what the sad part is? He’s gonna win again because he protects too many people. Get ready for 4 more years of this. I only hope it doesn’t get worse…
How is this the mayor’s fault? I don’t see him protecting criminals.
It’s the mayor’s fault because he’s only protecting his own people around him. He doesn’t care about the working middle/low-income classes around our areas. Not only that but even when the cops are around nothing gets done. Go ask those people in that bodega about paying for protection. Then go ask the mayor if he cares about incidents like this…
Because he is the one approving funding to open Homless Shelters throughout neighborhoods in Queens where normal hard working people lived and built up to make it a great neighborhood. By opening up these homeless shelters it brings thugs into these safe peaceful neighborhoods. I live a block away from this deli and noticed a lot of crime lately. Bill the dick converted Westway Motel into a homeless shelter. Google it
Humm lets see….We have an increase of homeless people on our streets and opening up homeless shelters in once quiet residential areas without notifying communities is a start. It ads to the chaos and leaves us feeling like the city does not care about the hard working and middle class in Astoria who pay the majority of taxes. Many cops cant do their job. Affordable housing is not affordable. Developers are taking over Astoria. Crime is taking place during the day in crowded avenues because they know they can get away with it.
Let’s just be honest and for once ask ourselves how it is that developers are taking over and how rents are going up? It’s in large part because of the owners selling to them. Yep, Astorians are doing it. And in some cases, those who haven’t sold to them are jacking up their rents to cash in.