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Knife-Wielding Robbers Target People Walking Across Washington Bridge: NYPD

By Carolina Pichardo | December 2, 2016 1:38pm | Updated on December 5, 2016 8:56am
 Police said the three men robbed their victims at knifepoint in the Washington Bridge area in Washington Heights.  
Police said the three men robbed their victims at knifepoint in the Washington Bridge area in Washington Heights.  
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DCPI

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — A trio of men with knives have robbed at least eight people in the past month and a half as they walked near the Washington Bridge on 181st Street connecting Washington Heights to The Bronx, police said.

Police said the string of robberies ranged from Oct. 22 to Nov. 17 — and typically happened between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. The men made off with cellphones, bicycles and backpacks, as well as money, police said.

The first incident took place at approximately 10:20 p.m on Thursday, October 22, when three individuals — believed to be between the ages of 17 to 20 — stole a 26-year-old man's cellphone as he was walking on the north side of the 181st bridge closer to The Bronx.

The next day, a 41-year-old was man was on the footpath of the Washington Bridge at approximately 10 p.m. when robbers took his bicycle, police said.

A week later, a 40-year-old man was near the vicinity of the Washington Bridge at approximately 11:05 p.m. Nov. 4 when men stole his cellphone, money and bicycle, police said.

They struck again on Sunday, Nov. 6, robbing a 17-year-old man at approximately 1:30 a.m. and then 24-year-old man at 7 p.m., police said.

Police said the three men returned on Thursday, Nov. 10 at approximately 10:30 p.m., robbing a 23-year-old man of his backpack — then again on Thursday, Nov. 17, when they robbed a 54-year-old man of his bicycle, wallet with credit cards and $5 shortly after midnight. They hit again at 10 p.m. that night — robbing a 20-year-old of his property using physical force, police said.

Deputy Inspector Reymundo Mundo of the 34th Precinct said he’s been working with the Commanding Officer of the 46th Precinct, which handles the area north of the bridge in the Bronx, to stop the robberies.

“Since putting the plan, we’ve had no robberies since,” Mundo told those present at Wednesday night's precinct council meeting, adding that he’s placed more officers to patrol the bridge in cars and on foot.

Police said one of the suspects was last seen wearing a dark colored sweater, dark colored baseball cap and dark colored sweatpants. A second suspect was seen wearing a dark colored hooded jacket and dark colored pants, while the third was last seen wearing a gray hooded sweater, white pants and a red cap.

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. All calls are strictly confidential.