DOuBLE TROuBLE
Thieves knock over B’klyn bodega, return a day later
IT WAS a robbery rewind. Two crooks robbed a Brooklyn bodega Monday — then came back the next day for an encore performance, police said Saturday.
Workers at the Habibi Deli in East New York are now on guard — hoping that the thieves don’t clean them out a third time.
“Five years, no problems, no nothing,” store employee Nor Esa, 44, said about the mini-robbery spree at his store. “Just last week.”
Police said hooded thieves walked into the deli around 2:50 a.m. Monday and approached the counter.
One bandit, who was wearing a red backpack, already had a gun in his hand, which he waved in front of Ajmoud Essa’s face as he ordered him to empty the cash register, surveillance video taken during the heist shows.
The second crook stood nearby — his hands in his pockets.
The duo took $700 from the store and ran off, heading south on Miller Ave., police said.
But they didn’t stay away for long.
Roughly 24 hours later, on Independence Day, the brazen thieves returned to the same deli — and robbed Essa again.
“It was the same people,” said Essa, 39, who has owned the Habibi Deli for five years. “They were outside the store. I opened the door (and they) put the gun in my back.”
The bodega’s security footage shows the suspects lead Essa and another employee toward the back of the store at gunpoint, then back around the counter.
This time, one of the thieves was wearing a different black and white coat, police said.
The brazen bandits took $500 from the register and $70 from Essa’s own pockets before once again bolting down Miller Ave. The deli clerk was unharmed in both attacks.
Essa said that he has never seen the men before — and attributes the robberies to a bad element that hangs out across the street.
“They smoke something bad (over there)...crack,” he said.
Police describe the gunman as as Hispanic, about 20, 5-foot-7 and between 160 and 170 pounds with a light complexion.
During both robberies he wore a black hooded sweatshirt, dark sweatpants, black sneakers, white gloves and flashed a black gun.
The second suspect is described as having a dark complexion and slim build.
He wore a black hooded sweatshirt, white T-shirt, black pants and black sneakers in the first robbery.
In the second hold-up, he wore a black and white hooded jacket with a distinctive jagged pattern, black pants and black sneakers.
Anyone with information regarding the identity of these thieves is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS.