Armed Robber Assaults Smoke Shop Employee

NYPD officials are on the hunt for a man who’s robbed three smoke shops this season, targeting two stores in the Bronx and one in Manhattan.

The Manhattan incident took place on November 13 at about 1:37 a.m., when the suspect entered Columbia Smoke Shop at 974 Amsterdam Avenue at 108th Street. He approached a 26-year-old male employee, simulated a firearm and demanded money, police say. The suspect then displayed a wrench and hit the employee on the right hand before removing $500 from the cash register. He got in a car and drove north on Amsterdam Ave., while the store employee was treated by EMS at the scene.

Police shared surveillance imagery from the incident at 974 Amsterdam Avenue.

The other two incidents (September 24 and November 18) happened late at night as well, and the suspect got away with $200 from each Bronx location, though neither of those victims sustained injuries.

Anyone with relevant information 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 by sending a direct message to @NYPDTips on Twitter.