NOHO — Police are looking for a man they say has robbed several nail salons throughout the East Village and NoHo with threats of gun violence.
The suspect struck most recently on Aug. 24 around 8:35 p.m., when he walked into a NoHo nail salon near the intersection of Broadway and E. 10th Street, walked behind the counter, and showed a salon employee a gun in his waistband, stating "I have a gun, give me money," according to authorities.
The salon employee pushed the suspect away, and he fled towards Bleecker Street, police said.
Police declined to share the exact address of the salon.
The attempted robbery is the latest incident in which the suspect has targeted nail salons, police said — he successfully robbed two salons in the East Village months earlier, first in April and again in June of this year.
In the first incident, the suspect entered the Jay Nail Corporation at 780 Broadway on April 15 around 8:10 p.m. and approached a female employee, simulating a gun in his pocket and demanding money, authorities said. The employee complied, handing over roughly $2,500 from the register, and the suspect fled northbound on Broadway.
The robber struck again on June 12 at the Il Girasole Nail Spa at 13A E. Fourth St. at around 8:35 p.m., according to authorities.
The suspect approached a female salon employee and again simulated a firearm, this time displaying what appeared to be the handle of a firearm in his pocket as he demanded money from the register, authorities said. He then grabbed $700 from the register and fled westbound on East Fourth Street, police said.
Police have released surveillance footage of the suspect, described as between 40 and 45-years-old, standing between 5-foot-11 and 6 feet tall, and weighing 160 pounds.
Anyone with information in regards to these incidents is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477)
