On the morning of June 9th, two armed assailants posing as Amazon deliverymen broke into a single-family home in the Whitestone neighborhood of Queens, New York. They forced a family of five, including two children, into the basement, bound their hands with zip ties, taped their mouths shut, and stole $15,000 in cash and jewelry. The 109th precinct of the NYPD released photos of the two suspects on June 10th and appealed to the public for help in solving the case.
The incident took place around 6:30 am on Monday at a standalone residence located at the intersection of 152nd Street and 12th Avenue in Whitestone. Surveillance footage showed two men approaching the house, one wearing a yellow Amazon vest and the other carrying a large Amazon box.
According to the police, the two men forcibly entered the residence, brandished a gun, and threatened the 43-year-old father, 39-year-old mother, 18-year-old girl, 10-year-old boy, and 5-year-old girl, leading them to the basement where they were bound and gagged. The assailants then ransacked the house, stealing $15,000 in cash and jewelry from a safe before fleeing in the victims’ Chrysler sedan, which was later found abandoned four blocks away from the scene.
The NYPD stated that the victims were of Middle Eastern descent. A law enforcement source mentioned that one of the family’s four children had forgotten to lock the door after heading to school, providing an opportunity for the intruders to enter.
Fortunately, none of the members of the robbed family were harmed. A neighbor recounted that a few minutes after the robbers left, the father managed to free himself from the restraints and ran outside to seek help.
A neighbor shared with CBS, “I only saw a man running out of the house with tape still stuck on him. He looked visibly shaken and very disoriented, probably still trying to figure out what just happened.”
Interestingly, the location of the robbery is situated across from a public school in Whitestone.
Whitestone is connected to the Bronx by the Whitestone Bridge and Throgs Neck Bridge, and it has expressways linking to Long Island, making it easy for criminals to escape after committing a crime.
Councilwoman Vickie Paladino of the 19th District pointed out that while the NYPD believes the criminals intentionally targeted this family, there is currently no ongoing threat to the community. However, there have been several recent home invasion robberies in the area, forming a pattern in the Northeast Queens area. She has been in contact with local police and the North Queens Command Center and mentioned plans to increase patrols and take additional measures. Paladino urged residents to report any suspicious individuals or unusual activities in the community promptly. Vigilance is always beneficial when it comes to safety.
The police have released surveillance footage of the two suspects and urge anyone with information to call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 800-577-8477 or the Robbery Squad at 718-321-2283 to provide tips, with all calls kept confidential.