HUDSON HEIGHTS — Police are looking for a suspect who punched and robbed a man of his iPhone and wallet on Bennett Avenue, following him as he left a subway station that community members have complained about for nearly a year.
The suspect followed the 48-year-old victim as he exited the 181st St. subway station at West 184th Street on Feb. 11 at 3:05 a.m. and walked toward West 187th Street and Bennett Avenue, police said.
The suspect — who police describe as being about 25-years-old — asked the victim for his phone several times before punching him in the eye and stealing his wallet and cell phone, cops said.
The victim, who was not identified, was taken to New York-Presbyterian Hospital, where he was treated for a cut to the face and released, police said.
No one has been arrested.
Police said the suspect is about 5-feet-8-inches tall and weighs about 150 pounds.
Community members have long complained about a lack of security at the station since the MTA removed station agents. A rash of muggings and assaults have long plagued Bennett Avenue.
During last week’s 34th Precinct Community Council meeting, a resident implored the NYPD to increase patrols of the station in question.
“This is a bad situation waiting to happen,” said Chris Rizzo, who complained of poor conditions at the station, including people sleeping there, panhandling and asking for MetroCard “swipes.”
Anyone with information in regards to this robbery is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS. The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or texting their tips to 274637(CRIMES) and entering TIP577.
