Queens, NY- Three thieves attacked a man in a strong-arm robbery that netted $500,000 in jewelry, only for an Apple AirTag to lead police to two suspects in Queens, cops said on Friday.
The 50-year-old victim had parked his car outside Rosa’s Pizza, on 21st St. near 31st Ave. in Astoria, when the trio attacked around 9:45 p.m. Thursday, cops said.
The crooks threw the victim to the ground and struck him repeatedly before nabbing a silver briefcase containing a fortune in jewelry, law enforcement sources told the Daily News. Arif Chowdhury, the 61-year-old manager of Rosa’s Pizza, witnessed the ambush from inside his restaurant.
“It happened right in front of my window,” he said. “There was one white car that pulled up behind his black car as he got out. There were three guys — all three of them got out and grabbed his bag. They fought, they were punching and kicking him and they got away with his bag.”
After the attack, the victim entered the pizza shop, where he explained to Chowdhury that the thieves had followed him into Astoria, where he was coming to visit his daughter.
“When he came in, he said they had been following him and his bag was full of jewelry,” Chowdhury explained. “He was parking here because his daughter lives in the neighborhood.”
The thieves fled heading east on 31st Ave. before disappearing. But the victim was able to provide police with information generated by Apple’s signature tracking device, which he’d placed in the stolen bag, sources said.
The device led police to a Queens address where they arrested Brayan Pulido Pedina, 23, and Sandy Pulido, 21, cops said. Both suspects were charged with criminal possession of stolen property, reckless endangerment and fleeing police. Pulido Pedina was slapped with an additional charge for resisting arrest.
Though the tracking device led police to the two suspects, investigators have not recovered the stolen jewelry, cops said. The suspects live at the same address in College Point, but it wasn’t immediately clear what their relationship is.
Article provided by NY Daily News.