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Suspect in 34 Robberies Citywide Still at Large, Cops Say

By Aidan Gardiner | September 23, 2013 10:41am
Richard Rivera
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NYPD

NEW YORK CITY — A prolific bandit behind 34 gunpoint robberies was taken into police custody Friday, but his accomplice remained at large, cops said.

Richard Rivera, 43, and his 49-year-old partner have robbed at least 30 businesses in four boroughs since February — sometimes hitting the same spot multiple times, according to the NYPD.

The 49-year-old man, whose identity was not released, was taken into custody Friday and was still awaiting charges Monday, while Rivera eluded police, an NYPD spokesman said.

The spree began on Feb. 13 when Rivera and his partner held up the New Museum Deli across from the Museum of Natural History about midnight, cops said.

From there, they went on to rob a Dunkin' Donuts, bodegas, gas stations, and other businesses in every borough but Staten Island, police said.

On Aug. 15, the pair hit Murray Hill's Diamond News, then traveled 40 minutes and 14 miles to rob Riverdale's Getty Mini-Mart, cops said. They had previously robbed Diamond News just nine days before, police added.

In each robbery, the duo approached cashiers with a gun in hand and demanded cash before fleeing, police said.

The NYPD sent out an exhaustive list of every one of their hold-ups on Aug. 20. The brazen bandits robbed six more businesses in the intervening month, according to another police list sent out on Sept. 20.

Rivera, who stands at 5'7" and weighs 150 pounds, has been seen driving a Nissan Altima or Toyota Camry away from the robberies.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477).