LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y. (PIX11) — A man carrying a backpack with $34,000 in cash was beaten and robbed when he was ambushed during a meetup in Queens last month, police said Thursday.
The victim, 19, and a friend, 25, had arranged to meet up with a man near 42-20 24th St. in Long Island City at 10:15 p.m. on Oct. 23, according to the NYPD. During the encounter, two other men came up from behind the teen and punched him in the head before stealing his backpack with the $34,000, police said.
It was unclear why the victim set up the meet and why he was carrying the cash, according to an NYPD spokeswoman.
There were no injuries.
The three suspects were last seen running northbound on 24th Street toward Queens Plaza South, police said. There have been no arrests.
Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the New York City area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.
