NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Police are searching for several men in a violent robbery pattern out of Queens in which the suspects allegedly used social media to lure victims to locations to be beaten and robbed.
The NYPD released images Wednesday of the men they’re after in the robberies, which happened in the Flushing area in February.
According to police, the perps contacted the victims via social media apps in at least two of the three robberies linked to the pattern.
In the most recent robbery on the evening of Feb. 22, two males used the social media app RedNote to contact a 41-year-old man, who they agreed to exchange currency with at Smart Street and 45th Avenue in Flushing. Instead, they punched the man and stole his cellphone and money, police said.
That attack came just three days after a 39-year-old man was beaten inside 61-51 188th St. in Fresh Meadows on Feb. 19. He agreed to meet three males at the location to sell a Rolex watch, but they pummeled him and stole the watch from him, according to cops. The victim suffered minor injuries.
A third victim had to be hospitalized after he was attacked during a meeting in downtown Flushing on Valentine's Day that was arranged through the WeChat app, police said. The 34-year-old victim was attacked at Barclay Avenue and Kissena Boulevard, where he agreed to meet two males to exchange currency. The pair sprayed him in the eyes with pepper spray, punched and kicked his face, and stole his phone and money. He suffered a broken nose and lacerations to his face and was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Queens.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
