The NYPD is asking for the public’s help in finding a man wanted in connection to four different armed robberies citywide, one of which ended in a homicide.
Bodega owners say they are scared for their lives after learning that the suspect police are looking for has taken the robberies to another level, resulting in a death of a 67-year-old employee last Friday at a Manhattan store. Yaya Deli and Grocery was the suspect’s third stop following two other robberies at Brooklyn bodegas.
Police say the suspect was wearing the same outfit in all of the robberies – a white painter’s suit, black gloves, a black hoodie and a face mask. NYPD officials added that he used the same method in each robbery, pointing a gun at the cashier.
Bodega workers across the city are now in fear, with some saying they’ll be asking customers to remove their masks before entering their stores.
"This isn't silly, this is real, these are lives - us asking people to take their masks off is not a silly thing, it’s a real thing,” said Fernando Mateo, president of the United Bodegas of America. “It’s a thing that’s going to help them stay alive. If you’re going into a business, into a bodega, be ready to take your masks off."
Police say the suspect left the scene on a dark-colored scooter. They are offering a $10,000 reward for anyone who helps turn in the suspect.