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Two men robbed at knifepoint by three young suspects on Flushing-Bound 7 train in Woodside: NYPD

Cops are looking for these three suspects, who robbed two 7 train riders at knifepoint before pounding one of them in the face with brass knuckles in Woodside early Tuesday morning. They were last seen in Jackson Heights and remain at large. Photos courtesy of the NYPD

May 30, 2024 By Bill Parry

Chaos erupted on board a Flushing-bound 7 train in Woodside early Tuesday morning as two riders were robbed at knifepoint by a group of young thugs while the subway crossed into Jackson Heights.

The trouble began at around 4:10 a.m. when a 28-year-old man and a 30-year-old man were approached by three menacing strangers. One of the assailants allegedly snatched the 28-year-old victim’s cell phone while another pulled out a knife while threatening to shoot both men, police said.

A physical altercation ensued and one of the perpetrators used brass knuckles to punch the 28-year-old multiple times in his face.

As the train pulled into the Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue/74th Street transit hub, the three attackers ran off the subway and out of the station, traveling northbound on 73rd Street towards Northern Boulevard.

Police from the 108th Precinct in Long Island City and Transit District 20 responded and found the two victims had sustained minor injuries. EMS responded to the crime scene and transported the men to Elmhurst Hospital, where they were listed in stable condition.

The NYPD released surveillance video that shows the three suspects walking past a store on 73rd Street and described them as being in their late teens or early 20s with medium complexions. One wore a multi-colored oversized polo shirt, baggy jeans, dark sneakers and a black baseball cap on backward. The second suspect wore a dark Nike baseball cap with a Michael Jordan logo, ripped blue jeans and a gold crucifix hanging from a chain around his neck. The third perp wore a dark Nike head covering and a black and red jacket and he, too, wore a crucifix hanging from a chain around his neck.

A reward of up to $3,500 is offered for information leading to their arrests.

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 crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.

Through May 26, the 108th Precinct has reported 103 robberies so far in 2024, 2 fewer than the 105 reported at the same point last year, an uptick of 1.9%, according to the most recent CompStat report. Assaults are also on the rise in the precinct with 93 reported so far this year, 5 more than the 88 reported at the same point in 2023, an increase of 5.7%, according to CompStat.