A pair of moped-riding bandits robbed two Brooklyn bar hoppers at gunpoint — the newest in a crime spree centering on the two-wheeled getaway autos, cops and victims stated Friday.
A 32-year-old actor and her 29-year-old good friend had been strolling from Twins Lounge to Ponyboy bar in Greenpoint at round 11:20 p.m. Thursday when a person carrying a ski masks hopped off the again of the moped and pulled a gun from his waistband, in accordance with the sources.
He pointed the weapon in direction of the 29-year-old’s chest and demanded his watch then snatched the 32-year-old’s purse, in accordance with cops and the sufferer.
The criminal then climbed again on the moped and his driver sped off down Manhattan Avenue close to Norman Avenue.
“It was very fast, nevertheless it was clearly tremendous rattling. I’ve lived within the space for over seven years now, and I’ve by no means felt unsafe,” stated the 32-year-old sufferer, who requested to not be named out of concern for her security.
She grew up in Venezuela and stated she might inform the bandits hailed from her homeland “primarily based on their accent.”
“It’s fairly insane for this to be taking place right here,” she stated.
“My household left Venezuela as a result of crime like that is quite common there, and so they simply didn’t need us rising up in that form of like, like lack of security.”
The incident comes after a pair of thieves on mopeds stormed the favored Williamsburg Chinese language restaurant Birds of a Feather and robbed three diners at gunpoint earlier this week.
On Wednesday, a robber pointed a gun at a Canadian man’s head and snatched his $40,000 Rolex watch within the coronary heart of Greenwich Village earlier than fleeing on a moped.
On June 18, two gun-toting, moped-riding robbers additionally swiped a person’s $100,000 watch exterior the Manhattan hotspot Carbone, in accordance with cops.
Police stated Friday the Greenpoint theft didn’t look like related to previous moped thefts.
The 29-year-old sufferer, who additionally requested to not be named, stated they had been doubtless focused as a result of the crooks noticed his expensive timepiece.
“I don’t suppose it was random,” he stated.
“Like they noticed I used to be carrying a really costly watch from afar. Or somebody instructed them.”
In the end, the 32-year-old sufferer stated she acquired again her iPhone after utilizing the Discover my iPhone app to hint it again to a bar the place the thieves had tossed it.
She stated cops she reported the crime to later instructed her moped-centric robberies had been on the rise.
“They had been like, yeah, sadly, like, it has been taking place,” she stated.
Cops took her across the neighborhood looking for the robbers, she stated.
Again on the station, she requested an officer for recommendation.
“[I asked] When you had youngsters who lived on this neighborhood, what would you inform them?” she stated.
“And considered one of them actually stated, go away New York.’”
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