NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- A $3,000 reward is being offered as police search for an armed robbery suspect accused of targeting the same Bronx bodega three times.
The first incident happened just before 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 13 when the suspect entered the Forest Deli located at 784 East 163rd St. in Woodstock and displayed a firearm then went behind the counter and pushed a 41-year-old employee causing a small cut to his left hand.
The suspect stole approximately $400 from the register and fled southbound on Tinton Avenue.
The robber entered the same bodega a second time at approximately 9:49 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 21, authorities said.
According to officials, the suspect paced back and forth before going behind the counter and forcibly taking $380 from the register then threatened the employee while holding a firearm through his jacket.
The robber then fled southbound on East 163rd Street. There were no injuries reported in this incident.
The suspect targeted the same bodega a third time on Friday, March 1, at approximately 11:37 a.m., the NYPD said.
He displayed a knife towards the 41-year-old employee, threatened him then proceeded to jump over the counter, steal $250 from the register before fleeing southbound on Tinton Avenue.
There were no injuries reported as a result of this incident.
"This guy who you see on the videotape has Robbed this Bodega three times in three months," said Radahmes Rodriguez, President of United Bodegas of America. "He keeps coming back again and again armed and ready to kill if he doesn't get things his way. We have never seen anything like this before, we are very concerned he will kill someone next time, UBA is offering $3,000 to catch him before he kills one of our members."
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).
