Nov. 2, 2016 Staff Report

Police are searching for a man who allegedly committed five armed robberies in Woodside and Jackson Heights within two hours on Monday.

According to the report, at 4:56 a.m. the suspect approached a 68-year-old employee with a handgun inside a Laundromat at 55-02 Roosevelt Avenue. He demanded money and the employee gave him about $50.

Around 4:57 a.m. the suspect did the same thing at the Woodside 52 Deli Grocery at 41-54 52 Street, approaching the 54-year-old employee with a gun and demanding money. The employee gave him about $60.

About half an hour later at 5:28 a.m. the suspect repeated the pattern at Robin Grocery and News at 63-37 39 Avenue, displaying a gun and demanding money from the 29-year-old employee, this time getting away with about $500.

The suspect then moved from Woodside to Jackson Heights, robbing DBA Grocery at 80-02 Roosevelt Avenue around 6:05 a.m. He approached the employee with a gun and demanded money, and when the employee refused, the suspect took several packs of gum and left.

The final location the suspect hit was 84 News at 84-30 Roosevelt Avenue around 6:38 a.m. in the same way as the previous robberies. He approached a 50-year-old employee with a gun and demanded money, and the employee handed over about $50.

The suspect is described as Hispanic male with glasses and was last seen wearing blue jeans and a green snorkel jacket.

Police have released a photograph of the suspect and anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).