QUEENS — A man has been robbing fast food restaurants in Queens and Long Island with what appears to be a butcher knife, according to officials.
The knife-wielding burglar has hit at least four locations in Queens this month, including a Carvel, Dunkin Donuts and Subway, NYPD Chief of Detectives Bob Boyce said during a press conference at One Police Plaza Thursday.
The suspect is also believed to be linked to at least 17 robberies in Long Island.
“He covers up with hoodies and masks and walks in and does fast food restaurants,” Boyce said.
Police believe the man first struck in the city on May 11 at a Carvel at 103-21 Metropolitan Ave. in Forest Hills. He threatened several employees with a knife before stealing $500 from a cash register.
He then hit a Dunkin Donuts at 146-36 45 Ave. in Flushing on May 23 and stole $600 after forcing a man there to open two cash registers, police said.
Two days later the suspect hit a Howard Beach Dunkin Donuts at 163-02 Cross Bay Blvd. where he got away with $776 in cash, according to the NYPD.
The masked knife-wielding bandit then robbed a Subway Wednesday night at 205-12 Northern Blvd. in East Elmhurst, where he made off with $400, police said.
The suspect is about 5 feet, 9 inches tall, with a stocky build, according to police.
Anyone with information regarding 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.
