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Cellphone Store Manager Tied Up and Pistol-Whipped in UWS Robbery: Police

By Emily Frost | January 26, 2015 7:30pm
 The Boost Mobile store was robbed on Jan. 18 by three men wearing dark hats and jackets, police said. 
The Boost Mobile store was robbed on Jan. 18 by three men wearing dark hats and jackets, police said. 
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DNAinfo/Emily Frost

UPPER WEST SIDE — A trio of robbers tied up and pistol-whipped the manager of a cellphone store on Columbus Avenue before fleeing with thousand of dollars in stolen cash and goods when the victim's friend passed by and saw the crime unfolding, police said.

The incident occurred at Boost Mobile NYC, near the corner of West 109th Street, on Sunday, Jan. 18, when the store's manager was catching up on work about 6:30 p.m. after the shop had closed, police said.

The three suspects knocked on the front door and then forced their way into the store while flashing a handgun, according to police. One of the men stood guard in the front of the store, while the other two led the manager to the store's back room, punched him in the face, pushed him to the ground and tied up his hands with tape, police said. 

One of the suspects struck the manager in the back of the head with the handgun, with the victim pleading, "please don't kill me," recounted Capt. Marlon Larin of the 24th Precinct

A friend of the manager who happened to be walking by the shop at the time noticed one of the suspects standing alone in the store and thought something was wrong, Larin said. The victim started yelling for help when he saw his friend, prompting the robbers to flee. 

The friend tried to chase after the suspects, but lost them as they headed west on West 109th Street, Larin said. 

They made off with $1,300 from the cash register, the manager's Android cell phone, three Apple iPhones, and a Macbook Pro laptop and charger, police said. 

The suspects were described as in their 20s, standing between 5 foot 5 and 5 foot 8, and clad in dark knit hats and dark jackets, police said. 

Officers dusted the store for fingerprints but have yet to locate the thieves, Larin added. 

The manager declined to comment.

Anyone with information can provide a tip confidentially by calling 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), submitting a tip via www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting CRIMES (274637) and then entering TIP577.