Two robbers using hammers to break into display cases at an Astoria deli attacked an employee who tried to stop them. NYPD
Feb. 29, 2024 By Bill Parry
Police from the 114th Precinct in Astoria are looking for two men who attempted to rob a corner deli near the Woodside Houses and attacked a store employee who tried to stop them.
The incident occurred on the night of Wednesday, Feb. 14, when the two suspects walked into the store located at 48-02 Broadway at 10 p.m. and began hitting the display cases with hammers. When a 24-year-old worker came out from behind the counter to confront them, they began striking him with the hammers, causing lacerations and bruising to the victim’s head and body. His assailants fled the store in an unknown direction.
According to an NYPD spokesman, the robbers took a bag before leaving and it was determined that the bag was empty—so the pair essentially got nothing.
EMS responded to the crime scene and transported the wounded worker to Elmhurst Hospital where he was listed in stable condition.
The NYPD released surveillance images of the suspects and described them as having medium complexions, with both wearing black face coverings that hid their features at the time of the incident. One wore a black bubble jacket over a black hooded sweatshirt, blue sweatpants and black sneakers. The second man wore a black hooded winter jacket, blue jeans and white and black sneakers.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
Through Feb. 25, the 114th Precinct has reported 44 robberies so far in 2024, 5 more than the 39 reported at the same point last year, an increase of 12.8%, according to the most recent CompStat report.
Assaults are way up in the precinct with 93 reported so far this year, 35 more than the 58 reported at the same point in 2023, an increase of 60.3%, according to CompStat.
