Armed robber hits five Bronx businesses in August
The spree took place between Aug. 4 through the 26.
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Police have released a photo of a man they say robbed a different Bronx store at gunpoint every week this month, stealing more than $5,000 in total.
Surveillance footage shows the suspect leaning over a counter with his stomach pressed against it - a gun in one hand and the other reaching for the register.
“When he walked in, he was calm. It seemed like it was routine for him,” said a bodega worker who did not want to be identified.
According to the NYPD, the man is believed to be behind five armed robberies across multiple Bronx neighborhoods in August, including Crotona Park, Mount Eden, West Farms and two separate incidents in Tremont.
A worker at one of the bodegas, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, recalled his encounter with the suspect.
“I told him, ‘Relax. What do you want?’ He said, ‘Everything you have,’” the worker said.
Police said the first robbery occurred Aug. 4 at a deli on Tremont Avenue. Two days later, a laundromat along Crotona Avenue was targeted. On Aug. 13, the same thief hit another deli again on Tremont Avenue.
“He said, ‘Give me the rest.’ I gave him the rest. I only had quarters, the rest was just quarters,” the worker said, describing how the suspect demanded every last cent.
In just over a week, the suspect is believed to have robbed three stores located within blocks of one another. According to city data, grand larceny is on the rise in the area compared to this time last year.
The robber struck again on Aug. 21 at a deli on Jerome Avenue, and most recently this past Monday at a deli on Boston Road, which had just celebrated its grand opening.
“When he pointed the gun at [an employee's] face, that’s when I realized we were being robbed,” said an employee.
That bodega worker that had a gun pointed to his head, thankful he survived.
“Money is nothing compared to life,” he said.
No injuries were reported in any of the incidents.
The NYPD is urging anyone with information to come forward.
