April 18, 2016 By Michael Florio
Two men robbed an Astoria gas station at gunpoint Monday morning.
The suspects targeted an employee who pumps gas at the 46-06 Ditmars Blvd Citgo Station for the cash he keeps in his pockets.
The first suspect approached the 63-year-old employee at about 6 am while he was sitting next to the gas pumps and asked him for change for a dollar, according to police.
A couple of minutes later a second man approached the employee and asked if the station sells brake and windshield fluid.
At this point both suspects displayed firearms and demanded money from the victim, according to the NYPD. One of the suspects reached into the employee’s pocket and removed $272.
The men then tied the victim’s hands together before fleeing eastbound on Ditmars Blvd, the NYPD said.
No arrests have been made at this time and the investigation is ongoing.
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55 Comments
We can complain about the garbage living in the Westway or we can do something about it. I ran into Costa C (our council member) and I asked him about the Westway. He said the Mayor did it with an executive order that went over the council’s head. He said he wants the Westway closed as well. He told me that Assemblymember Simotas is the only one that can help. Please email her at this address – simotasa@assembly.state.ny.us – and say you want the Westway CLOSED. I did already.
You have no idea this mugging had anything to do with the Westway.
Obviously you are garbage if you are calling people “garbage” because they are homeless.
If you really want the Westway closed then offer a solution for where to put the homeless families.
What is a viable alternative that you can offer?
Too many things happening here and there can ultimately lead to a bunch bigger problems. We have seen many posts about crimes in the past weeks taking place in the Ditmars area and people have every right to be concerned with the present and the future of our neighborhood. We need more cops paroling our streets deterring crime.
What a shame this area used to be safe. Someone attempted to rip woman’s clothes near this area in March. I guess it does not matter whether you are in a commercial or residential area in Astoria anymore. Crime is everywhere. Thanks Bill.
Crime is always everywhere. How do you define safe, 0% crime?
Do you miss 1990 when NYC had almost 3000 murders. Oh the old days. So many murders.
Nothing like respecting people’s FREEDOM to eat or drink whatever the hell they want. That was a truly bizarre post.
ALSO GET RID OF ALL HOT SAUCE , KFC , POPEYE’S AND ALL THE OTHER FRIED BIRD ESTABLISHMENTS WORLDWIDE ! ! !
You must be a Bernie or Hillary voter trying to make all Trump voters look bad
GET RID OF ALL SHELTERS ! ! ! SHUT DOWN RIKERS ISLAND ! ! ! RAISE THE RENTS ! ! ! BUILD THE WALL ! ! ! GET RID OF ALL THE ILLEGALS AND ANCHOR BABIES ! ! ! ELIMINATE ALL GRAPE JUICE , GRAPE DRINK , WATERMELONS AND MENTHOL TOBACCO PRODUCTS IN THE ENTIRE U.S.A. ! ! ! REINSTATE STOP AND FRISK ! ! ! PUT BEAT COPS AND HD CAMERAS EVERYWHERE ! ! ! ALL THE USELESS MUST GO ! ! ! VOTE 4 TRUMP ! ! !
Unfortunately, I think Astoria/Ditmars has given criminals the impression of a quick buck and easy get away. I believe a community’s response to crime along with authorities is key to keeping us safe. With the increase in people, shops and housing it has become very hard to monitor/suspect people up to no good. Its scary to think that these criminals are monitoring our neighborhoods looking for the next target. Bring back stop and frisk, and allow cops to do their job and stop people, ask questions and keep our neighborhoods safe.
PETE, WHAT…..”There have been many criminals caught through out the year and not one has lived at the shelter.” HOW ON EARTH DO YOU KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE? I think you should call it a day.
I think Pete is just an idiot, a very large idiot…. he is probably a resident there and that is why he is going so hard defending them..hahah..
Pete Kudos to you for having sensibility and logic and calling out the erroneous thought processes that are blaming WestWay. Tell me all of you Astorians that are anti homeless shelters, did any of you speak out at town halls before it was zoned a permanent shelter? Or did you just sit silent. No one deserves to be robbed but the owner of that gas station is not at all on the up and up either. Hope his employees are ok considering they are paid slave labor wages and then had to be robbed. My 2 cents as a long time Astoria resident and very familiar with that business
Before you try to even contemplate justifying anything because of the fact that the owner of that gas station is not on the up and up, you need to take a good look at the facts. If you don’t think he is on the up and up , then don’t go to his gas station. There are plenty of other ones. The facts are simple. I went by and saw the worker at that gas station who was grateful to be alive after two guys holding him up at gunpoint. that was held up. He said he has never been as terrified as he was at that moment. HE even said that since Westway became a permanent homeless shelter, there have been a lot of crimes going on. We all know that some have been reported and some have not. He has seen the changes and so has everyone who lives in the area. Westway doesn’t only have its “residents”-it also has the visitors that visit the residents who get an idea of what is going on and who don’t have a curfew. Please…the homeless shelter has attracted a lot of different people in the area and you can say whatever you want, but that is true.
Everyone deserves a chance but those who sincerely deserve it should have it; not those who take advantage of the system and all of a sudden are given a place to live for free. Walking around with their north face coats and their iphones.
And yes, many of us did go and speak out and many of us were then ignored. This was in effect before it was brought up to the community. This was already a done deal and everyone knows it, even the politicians who represent us and who would never publicly admit it.
So, before everyone starts up with the anti homeless shelters, think about how hard those “anti homeless shelters” people have worked to do something better with their lives and for their children before you judge. Talk to the people who live near the shelter and see how they feel. Ask the people who live in the immediate area. Yes, people need a place to live, but people should live in an area that is more conducive to providing such an environment. Upper Ditmars is not, never was and it never should have been allowed to be. Let’s think long and hard about who is to blame for that one.
It was nice when cops walked a beat. I hope they bring that back.
THE COPS ARE TO BUSY AT ASTORIA PARK CAUSE OF PETTER VALLONE LOL
20 years ago when the good guys had a grip on Astoria you hardly ever heard of a robbery
well when it’s made so easy to collect and not get a job why bother. And honestly thugs rule the world now, no respect for our policeman and they know it! It’s a disgrace …
I agree, the Mafia has gone too far.
West way has been a “temporary” homeless shelter for years and years. It has now become permanent resident shelter. Crime in the area has always been a problem and gotten worse. Found residents from shelter I back yard trying to steal baby’s toys because they didn’t have anything to ride on. Get a job. Stop stealing and making welfare a way of life.
All the liberal comments is disgusting. I hope the attendant is ok.
I would like to know what Constantinides is doing to protect this neighborhood. The answer is absolutely nothing. He is too busy worrying about his million dollar dog park and his participatory budget voting to care about the issues at hand. The Westway has become such a huge problem that he and his fellow supporters have consistently and continuously have ignored. I guess ignorance is bliss applies to him and his friends.
How about investing time and energy and money in getting rid of the homeless shelter which has become a thorn in every resident’s side. The residents who have saved and sacrificed to be in this neighborhood. Shame on him and shame on every other person who has done nothing but allow the unforgivable to happen in our area.
my good fiend ,you don’t have to be anonymous to say the truth. i am pretty sure that many people know that very well, but no one speak out some how they all smile in a fake way like nothing happen . i am Greek and since i am here 20 yrs now i never believed even one word from his mouth. People like hem also drove Greece in bankrupt.
This has become truly a DISGUSTING neighborhood to live in because of the WESTWAY!!! I’ve lived here 28 years and I was never worried to walk in the day or night time to a friends house or the store and now, I constantly look behind me. City Cops, do your damn job and patrol! City cops, do your damn job and respond faster then 3 hours to a 911 call….I cannot wait to eventually move out of here,
So sad, and It was probably Singh who they did that to…poor guy.
You don’t have to worry. You are being paranoid. Look at the crime stats, It was worse 28 years ago.
Where exactly do you plan to move to where there isn’t any crime?
You honestly think this is a disgusting neighborhood. I walk around and see a vibrate neighborhood with a thriving restaurant scene and a lot of families.
Just for the sake of argument, give me an example of another neighborhood in the city that is what you are looking for. That way I have an example of what you are looking for.
Pete, I’m trying to figure out why you are pro homeless shelter. Are you getting laid more often!! I bet that’s what it is. You tapping some homeless booty!!!
I’m not pro-homeless shelter. I’m pro-accuracy. I’m pro-logic…. not emotional diatribe.
I think who ever is responsible for this crime should be held responsible. Blindly blaming a homeless shelter when all the other crimes in the neighborhood were linked to people not living at the homeless shelter doesn’t make any sense.
I have property, I know there is a chance property values can go done (although this isn’t happening as you can by recent sales).
It’s so stupid when people start living by fear when it’s way safer than it’s ever been. Also, this is a big city. There will be homeless people. Harlem and The Bronx can’t be the only place to put shelters. They need to be distributed evenly across all the neighborhoods.
Pete, thank you for your ability to think. I mean, your liberal stances.
It’s easy to blame a local homeless shelter for a crime, and not the easily accessible highway. And it’s easy to blame the homeless for finding themselves in this shelter – not the husbands who tortured them or the failed public health care system that put them out of work. Last year 1,000 veterans were put into public-sponsored permanent housing – surely the veterans are to blame, right?
I still think your tapping some homeless booty!!!
I am not being paranoid, far from it. I am basing my worries solely on experience.
28 years ago I was a new born baby so I would not know about the crime rates from then. However I know growing up and in my teenage year’s and early twenties there was barley any crime around here. Also, I have a few friends that i grew up with in the neighborhood that recently (within the last 2 years) have gotten mugged and/or held up at gun point and in one case (the one who was held up at gun point) it was done right on the side of our local elementary school (P.S.2 , which is veryyyy close to the West Way) and that area is clearly under surveillance yet the crime was still committed. Do you know why? Because the thug didn’t care. Because the thug knew that the 114th takes there sweet cherry time coming to a call and that nothing would be done to him because he would not be found!!!!
3 days go by, they did not find the guy but they found my friends wallet with his ID that the guy took from him…GUESS WHERE???? OMG infront of the West Way!!!!!! WOWWWW im shocked!! Not those poor homeless people who are not grubbing off our taxes to live while bringing garbage to our neighborhood and stealing and injuring our community! Not…… Wake up! Go hang out by the yellow deli and the laundromat right by this gas station and look at the trash that rolls through non stop! I wouldn’t wash my clothes there….there so dirty and rude and on top of it they act like we owe them…are you kidding me!? If it were up to me I would take that shelter down and I dont care whos in it while I do!!
Also, a 14 yr. old boy who lives up my block went outside one night last summer because he heard yelling and etc. He knew his mom was out there throwing out the garbage so he ran to make sure she was okay. When he got outside, a group of dark skin men were harassing his mom and when he went to defend her they all beat him up real bad and try to rob his phone and etc. …cops were called, they showed up 2 hrs later….point proven …
Intelligent comment police chime in …..NOW! lol
I can’t take this long run-on , rambling seriously.
What percentage of crime would you say is reasonable for this neighborhood? What would be an example neighborhood that you think is safe? When I have your baseline I will know how to proceed.
Can’t take the “rambling” cause I’m correct. Anyway, I never comment on anything because of ignorant people like you and the one time I do actually comment, boom here came Pete Haha.
Signing out yallll
Yes, cuz the cops are to blame for the robbery. Do you have a brain?
Do You have a brain? I didn’t say that the homeless shelter was the cops fault so let’s just get that straight why I said it was the cops fault was because majority of the time all I see is them sitting in their cars just on their phones talking with one another not paying attention to their surroundings as any time I’ve ever had an issue with anybody in this neighborhood trying to break in or looking suspicious (few times, not saying it is everyday before the news comment police act up) they would show up three and a half hours later when if there were a crime being committed it would already have been done and they would not catch the person which would allow them to do it again so the question here is do you have a brain…if you are so educated and you think you are soo smart, you go run for city council or whatever and let’s see you fix this.
yaaasss honey
What does a traffic light have to with anything?
Everything, like pedestrian and bicyclist safety. And crime, obviously.
Those two men would have been caught if there was a traffic light on 47th and Ditmars. No fears – Mr. Constantinides is on the case!
o yea! i dint know that .now we will sleeping in a cloud!!
Assuming of course that somebody witnessed the robbery and starting chasing the car. Assuming further that thieves obey traffic laws.
yeah they probably came from and ran to the welfare hotel…since that hotel became a low income/welfare hotel, our area has been experiencing lots of thief’s. Need to get rid of that place.
If I was a thief I sure would commit crimes here. Everyone would blame the homeless shelter and never suspect the actual criminal.
Pete, get your head outta your ass!! That has station has been 24 hours for as long as I can remember. Their was never a robbery there before. They should check the Westway
Your logic is 1) There was never a robbery before at the gas station 2) homeless shelter opened a year ago 3) someone at the homeless shelter did it.
You don’t need to take 101 level logic class to know this doesn’t make sense. Correlation doesn’t mean causation.
There was crime before the homeless shelter. How were you able to conclude this was “post” homeless shelter crime vs “pre” homeless shelter crime. I would honestly like to know how you know this.
If it is the homeless shelter I would love to know but considering it is a family shelter with mostly minor children and mom’s that is unlikely.
Number One do some research, they have or had a registered sex offender residing there, I was born and raised in Astoria and I surely know there is an elementary school a few blocks away!!! Guess that’s right too!!! People with nothing to lose will by any means do whatever it takes to get what they want and crime has risen immensely since the shelter was approved. I remember when it was safe to be outside in my community it’s society in general all the new buildings and businesses bringing all types of changes. Not all in a shelter are bad but I think it has something to do with it.
Do your research. There are registered sex offenders living all over the neighborhood long before Westway was even there. They live in the regular houses and apartments you pass everyday….for decades. Here are the most recent offenders http://www.homefacts.com/offenders/New-York/Queens-County/Astoria/11105.html.
There have been many criminals caught through out the year and not one has lived at the shelter. I’m not saying it’s great to have a shelter , I’m saying don’t blame the shelter when there has been other crimes with no connection to the shelter.
If 0% of the criminals caught didn’t live at the shelter than why blame the shelter first?
Here are three sex offenders that live in your neighborhood at regular apartments. Why aren’t you blaming these apartments for the crimes as well.
http://www.homefacts.com/offenders/New-York/Queens-County/Astoria/11105.html
Pete, curious how long you have been living in this area?
About 14 years, ….Astoria proper…why
Because the westway has been used as a shelter (of sorts) since 2006. We all know that crime is everywhere BUT has increased drastically in this area ever since this hotel started housing the homeless. I am a life long resident, I live right here and see it happening. Lots of people who are new to the area and usually have lots to say about it I was just wondering if you were one of them.
Not a true Astorian, you just live here. Your almost as bad as these Midwest transplants
I’m only 14 years old. How the hell else could I be anymore from Astoria?!?
lol!!! No you’re not!! Good one though.
I’m 14 in turtle years
i totally agree with you , that bul…it about equal and welfare rights got to stop . now .Really ..Ever anybody so kind cars they are driving ??