Photo courtesy of the NYPD
Police said a moped-riding bandit is targeting women and children in the Fordham area, and is now being sought by police in connection with five similar robberies which took place between June 4 and June 8.
The first incident was reported in the confines of the 46th Precinct, which covers some or all of Fordham, University Heights, Morris Heights and Mt. Hope. Police said that at 2:40 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4, in front of 2199 Morris Avenue in Fordham Heights, a suspect approached a 20-year-old woman and stole her necklace and ring before fleeing southbound on Morris Avenue. They said the woman was not injured.
Police say the second incident took place within the confines of the 52nd Precinct which covers some or all of Bedford Park, Fordham, Kingsbridge, Norwood, Bronx Park, and University Heights. They said at 3 p.m. on June 4, officers were called to 2590 Bailey Avenue at Heath Avenue in Fordham Manor, where a 19-year-old woman was approached by a moped rider who stole the victim’s necklace, before fleeing southbound on Bailey Avenue. They said the woman was not injured during the incident.
A third incident was reported to police when at 3:58 p.m. on Saturday, June 7, a moped bandit approached a 5-year-old boy as he stood in front of a garage with other children at 2565 Marion Avenue, near Dorothea Place in Fordham Manor. They said, once again, the suspect ripped a chain from the child’s neck and fled northbound on Marion Avenue. Police said the child suffered redness around his neck and was treated at the scene by EMS.
Incident four was reported at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 8, in front of 390 East Fordham Road in Fordham Heights, police said. Officers from the 46th Precinct reported that a 29-year-old woman was approached by a moped rider who stole her ring and two necklaces before speeding off in an unknown direction. They said the woman was not injured during the incident.
Photo by David Greene
Incident five was reported to police also from within the 46th Precinct, when at 2:05 p.m. on June 8, a moped rider approached a 22-year-old woman in the vicinity of East 183rd Street and Webster Avenue, also in Fordham Heights. Police said the suspect stole two necklaces from the victim before fleeing in an unknown direction. They said the victim was not injured during the incident.
Meanwhile, the angry Fordham Manor dad whose 5-year-old had his chain snatched while he was just feet away, spoke with Norwood News about the trauma his family suffered, a day after the incident.
On Sunday, June 8, the father recalled, “It was brief. A guy rode by with a scooter and snatched the chain.” He added that seven children were playing in a group when the chain-snatcher rode up beside them.
The dad continued, “It was right by the garage where I park. My son just came out of the building. I saw him walking by my garage.” He added, “As soon as my back was in the car, it just happened so fast.”
Asked if he had ever seen the man before, the father said he hadn’t. Referring to his son and in reference to a photo released by the NYPD, he said, “I was just showing him the picture that I just saw online. I hope they can track him down.”
We asked for his thoughts on the fact that the robber was seemingly a grown man preying on a child, the father said, “Yeah, it’s disgusting.” We also asked why, in the dad’s opinion, the perpetrator didn’t try and steal his chain. He responded, “I said that, you know? Unfortunately, now I took all of the jewelry off my children. I’ve lived here for 25 years and would never think that in our own front yard you must feel unsafe; it’s crazy.”
The block where the incident took place is home to several apartment buildings, several two and three-family homes, as well as several stores and the Fordham United Methodist Church, located on the opposite corner near East Fordham Road.
The father was asked if life on the block was changing. He responded, “It’s a tight-knit community, this block, here. Yeah, we’ve all grown up here all our lives and we just never expected something like that here.”
The distraught dad added, “That guy took a lot from me, you know? As a father, you are supposed to be there to protect your children and it hit me hard.” Asked for his thoughts on mopeds, the dad replied, “Get them out of here! I just feel like it’s gotten out of control. It’s to a point where I hear a noise like that, and I feel fear or tense up.”
Photo by David Greene
Listening to her father’s interaction with us, his young daughter said, “Wait Dad! But Dad, it seems like you’re going to be famous.” Her father laughed and responded, “No, not famous. We’re just trying to spread awareness. We don’t want anyone to experience this.”
Police described the moped-riding chain snatcher as a male with a medium complexion and medium build, aged between 38 and 42 years old. They said he was last seen wearing a multi-colored baseball cap, a black jacket and black jeans. Anyone with any information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 577-TIPS, all calls remain confidential.
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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.