THE BRONX (PIX11) — The man police said is responsible for a string of robberies and one death in New York City appeared before a judge on Friday.
Kimond Cyrus, 39, was charged with first- and second-degree murder. The hazmat suit seen in a surveillance video was found ditched near a Crotona Park building, where Cyrus lives. Investigators said it had his DNA on it.
Inside his apartment, police said they found some of the items stolen from three bodegas in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. The assistant district attorney said Cyrus’ distinct accent could be heard on security camera recordings during a robbery in Brooklyn.
In court, Cyrus pleaded not guilty.
“There’s videotape, but the person is wearing a mask, wearing a Tyvek suit. Whether that’s my client wearing a mask and Tyvek suit remains to be seen,” Cryus’ attorney said.
Cyrus is accused of fatally shooting Doana Deli worker Sueng Choi, 67, despite no video or witnesses at the time. Manhattan prosecutors said Cyrus robbed a customer at the Upper East Side shop at gunpoint.
That customer escaped outside and told police they heard a single gunshot in the store, officials said. He then saw the suspect get away on a blue scooter, which was caught on street security cameras, according to officials.
Choi was then found dead in the back of the store.
Police believe Cyrus is responsible for a robbery spree spanning three boroughs in a week, stealing cash, cellphones and thousands of dollars worth of cigarettes.
The assistant district attorney also called Cyrus a flight risk, explaining that during a 2003 jury trial for assault, he was caught with a suitcase full of his belongings and a one-way ticket out of the country.
