HARLEM — Police are trying to identify a panhandler who helped rob a commuter in a Harlem subway last month.
The unidentified man, pictured in a photo released by the NYPD, and an accomplice approached the 33-year-old male victim July 15 about 3:30 p.m., police said. They first asked for $2 outside the turnstile at the 116 Street B and C subway station, located at Frederick Douglas Boulevard and West 116 Street.
The victim ignored the two men and continued into the subway. The two men followed him, forced the victim against a wall and searched his bag, removing a pack of Newport cigarettes from inside, police said.
When the victim attempted to use his cellphone to call 911, one of the men smacked it from his hand and broke the phone, police said. The men fled in an unknown direction.
The victim recovered his cellphone, continued to the street and used a pay phone to call 911, police said.
Police said they have already arrested and charged Demetrius Cummings, a 44-year-old Brooklyn man, as the accomplice in the robbery.
The unidentified man is described as between 30 to 40 years old. He was wearing a gray T-shirt and black sweatpants at the time of the robbery, police said.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
