Armed carjack spree in Queens
Porsche, Benz, BMWs stolen
A pair of high-end armed robbers made off with a Porsche, two BMWs and assorted loot — including a watch, sunglasses and $1,800 in cash — during a recent series of heists in Queens, police said.
The luxury carjackers terrorized at least five people during a stick-up spree over the last week, and remained on the loose Thursday, the NYPD said as it released a surveillance image showing one of the suspects wearing a dark ski mask and black jacket.
The first gunpoint robbery took place last Friday at around 7 p.m. when a 35-year-old woman parked her 2018 Porsche sedan at 67th Avenue and 228th Street in Oakland Gardens.
An unidentified vehicle rolled up to her and a passenger hopped out, flashed a gun and forced her to cough up her cellphone and car, police said.
He got behind the wheel of her Porsche and took off, while his accomplice drove away in the other car, cops said. The woman was not physically hurt.
Luxe getaway
About two hours later, the duo targeted a 46-year-old man who had just parked his black 2022 Mercedes-Benz sedan on Farrington Street near 31st Road in Flushing, police said.
The pair — driving the Porsche that was stolen earlier — pulled up to the victim, and one of them got out with a gun in tow, cops said.
The gunman struck the victim in the head before hopping in the driver’s seat of the Mercedes, while his partner-in-crime took off in the Porsche — both heading east on the Whitestone Expressway, authorities said.
The victim was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Queens Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.
The thieves struck again Sunday around 11 p.m., approaching a 41-year-old man who was sitting inside a 2022 BMW SUV at Pople Avenue and College Point Boulevard in Flushing, cops said.
Both suspects got inside the car, flashed a gun and grabbed the victim’s watch and $1,800.
They drove off in the stolen Porsche, heading north on College Point Boulevard, police said. No injuries were reported. Then around 3 a.m. Monday, the armed robbers jumped inside a 25-year-old man’s parked black BMW SUV on Prince Street near 35th Avenue in Flushing, cops said. They hit the man in the head and snatched his cellphone, jacket and sunglasses.
One of them stole his BMW, while the other drove off in the Porsche, cops said.
The victim was treated at the scene for minor injuries.
About an hour later, the crooks were in a black BMW when they crashed into another BMW sedan, driven by a 45-year-old man, at 41st Avenue and Haight Street in Flushing, police said.
They flashed a gun and ripped off the victim’s sunglasses and $1,000 before driving away west on 41st Avenue, cops said.
In this case, they did not steal the victim’s ride, and the motorist did not report any injuries.
At large
Police described one suspect as having a light complexion and medium build; he was last seen wearing a black coat and ski mask. The other man was described as having a dark complexion and medium build.
The city has seen a 16% increase in car thefts so far this year — with 15,230 reported as of Nov. 17, compared to 13,133 by that point last year, the latest available NYPD statistics show.
In a chaotic November case, Terrence Brooks, 37, allegedly stole a car in Midtown — but crashed it into a taxi and jumped on top of a Cadillac SUV before he was busted, authorities said.
Weeks earlier, Queens man Mauro Chimbay, 43, was thrown to his death while clinging to the hood of a BMW to try to stop thieves who broke into his car.