BROOKLYN — Two men who robbed baby-store workers at knifepoint in Park Slope and Carroll Gardens after forcing them into the shops' bathrooms have been arrested, the Brooklyn District Attorney's office said Tuesday.
Laraun Grajales, 23, was arrested May 18 — and two weeks later, Tony Jones, 26, was caught after jumping a subway turnstile May 30 in Queens, law enforcement sources said.
Each man menaced the store workers — who were all women between 25 and 27 years of age — with a knife and forced them into bathrooms in the string of connected robberies that targeted three boutiques for baby products in Brooklyn, according to police and the Brooklyn District Attorney's office.
In each case, one man would enter the store with a knife while another man stood watch outside as the robbery took place, police previously said.
In the first incident on April 8 at around 5:10 p.m., Jones entered Area Play, a toy store at 331 Smith St., and pressed a large knife against a 27-year-old female employee's stomach, according to police and the DA's office.
Jones then stated, "give me all the money or I'll kill you," and forced the victim to open the cash register and place the money into the victim's purse, according to the criminal complaint.
He then walked the victim to the rear bathroom in the shop and made her sit there, locking a door to a hallway that led to the bathroom, according to the complaint.
Jones fled with an iPhone 6S, the purse, wallet, credit cards, $300 in cash and a driver's license, the DA said.
Grajales similarly menaced a store worker at Pink Olive, a baby clothing store at 167 Fifth Ave. in Park Slope on April 28 at about 4:45 p.m.
He threatened the employee with a knife and told her he would stab her if she did not hand over money from the cash register, according to the criminal complaint for Grajales. She complied and gave him $841 in cash.
He took her to the back bathroom, closed the door, and fled with an iPhone, wallet, two debit cards, one ATM card, two credit cards and keys.
Jones and Grajales carried out a third robbery at Tiny Brooklyn, a baby clothing store at 492 Court St. in Carroll Gardens on May 3 at about 12:25 p.m., according to their criminal complaints.
Jones forced the shop worker into a bathroom and made her kneel on the floor and face the wall, according to the DA's office.
"If she just tells me where the safe is, I won't have to kill her," the victim heard Jones saying on the phone, according to the criminal complaint.
"Don't come out of here, don't scream or you're going to get hurt," he told the victim, according to the complaint.
He fled with a Samsung Galaxy Edge S7, a driver's license, two debit cards, one credit card, a wallet, a MetroCard, a handbag and $245 in cash, officials said.
Prosecutors also charged Grajales in connection with the Tiny Brooklyn robbery.
Between 1:10 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. on May 3, Jones and Grajales were seen on surveillance cameras making or attempting to make purchases with stolen credit and debit cards at Target, Dunkin Donuts and Pia Car Limo, a cab company.
Grajales has been charged with robbery, burglary, grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property, menacing, unlawful imprisonment, petit larceny, attempted assault and harassment, among other charges.
Grajales was released without bail on May 24 and is due back in court Nov. 30, according to court records. Grajales' attorney could not be reached for comment.
Jones has been charged with robbery, grand larceny, menacing, unlawful imprisonment, petit larceny, criminal possession of a weapon and harassment, among other charges. He is being held on $50,000 bond bail or $25,000 cash bail and is due back in court June 3. Jones' attorney Hemangi Pai did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Police had earlier said the Brooklyn robberies were connected to a May 17 robbery in Midtown East. The Brooklyn DA could not immediately comment on the Manhattan incident.
