The NYPD is looking for a man who is said to be behind a robbery pattern in the Bronx’s Butler Houses.
Police say that the first incident took place on July 5. At 6:55 p.m. that day, a 44-year-old woman was exiting the elevator on the 8th floor of an apartment building the Butler Houses, located at 1348 Webster Avenue, when an unknown man punched her in the face. The suspect proceeded to take the victim’s grocery cart, which contained groceries and her apartment keys, and then fled the scene into a staircase.
The victim sustained pain and bruising as a result, but refused medical attention at the scene.
The crook struck again on July 7, this time near the Butler Houses building at 1330 Webster Avenue. At 9:45 p.m. that night, a 58-year-old woman was waiting at a nearby bus stop and putting money in her purse when the suspect punched her in the side of her face. The suspect tried to snatch the money from the victim’s hand, but was ultimately unsuccessful.
The suspect then fled inside the Butler Houses in an unknown direction. The victim suffered pain and swelling to the face, but refused medical attention at the scene.
Finally, at 5 p.m. on July 13, a 78-year-old woman was on the 16th floor of the Butler Houses, located at 1348 Webster Avenue, when the suspect followed her through a staircase door. The crook then snatched the victim’s purse from her hand, which contained $400, a cellphone and identifications, and fled in an unknown direction. The victim was not injured as a result of the incident.
The NYPD released a video of the suspect taken from the first incident:
Anyone with information in regard to the identity of this male 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 or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls are strictly confidential.
