Police are searching for at least one “male, wearing a ski mask” who attempted to ambush an armored vehicle in Norwood in broad daylight. According to one resident, an unidentified armed guard was picking up a bag of cash containing $6,000 at a McDonald’s restaurant when he was accosted by a stranger but refused to give up the cash.

 

NYPD spokeswoman, Detective Annette Shelton, later told Norwood News the attempted robbery took place at 2.10 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 14, at Perry Avenue and East 204th Street. “It was reported to police that a 53-year-old male victim (employee) for an armored security company was transporting money when he was approached from behind and was pepper sprayed,” she said.

 

Shelton continued, “An unidentified individual attempted to forcibly remove a bag of money containing $6,000 from the guard but was unable to, and fled on foot, northbound, on Perry Avenue.” Shelton did not say which business owned the cash. By Friday, Oct. 15, police had reported no arrests in the case.

 

Shortly after the incident occurred on Oct. 14, a male source who frequents the area and who declined to be identified, contacted the Norwood News, saying, “They attempted to rob an armored car 10 minutes ago.” The source said the victim had been removed from the scene by ambulance, and police officers had surrounded the armored vehicle which was parked outside Jerry’s Hardware Store at the intersection of East 204^th Street and Perry Avenue, opposite a McDonald’s restaurant.

On the same day, a second witness, a female resident of the area who also declined to be identified, described what she had seen to the Norwood News, “One of the guys was holding his eyes,” she said, referring to the armored vehicle team. “The cops are still out here, and they have the street taped off.” The same witness confirmed the victim had been placed in an ambulance. Referring again to the armored vehicle guards, she said, “Those guys got guns, you know? It’s crazy.”

 

A third source, a man who works in the area who, similarly, declined to be identified, said, on Oct. 14, “I heard they didn’t take any money. I heard they pepper-sprayed the guard, but the guard managed to not give up the money.” According to the source, the guard held on to the bag.

 

Breaking News Network (BNN) reported on Oct. 14 that police were looking for a 6-foot-tall, Hispanic man, dressed in black in connection with the robbery. This description was not provided by the NYPD to Norwood News in the context of our inquiries. Meanwhile, in reference to the attempted robbery, users of the Citizens’ App also said the robbery suspect had worn a ski mask.

 

On the same day, in reference to the incident, another male resident of the neighborhood who also declined to be identified, initially told the Norwood News that police had been in pursuit of a black BMW, and that a friend of his had witnessed a car crash at East Mosholu Parkway South and Marion Avenue in Bedford Park a short time after the robbery. The source alleged that two bags of money had been recovered at the site of the crash, and two suspects had been taken into custody.

 

The following day, the same male source followed up with the Norwood News and said the vehicle involved in the crash had been a silver BMW, not a black one. He said police had allegedly been in pursuit of the vehicle on Oct. 14 prior to the crash and that it had later been impounded by the 52nd precinct and was being held underneath Mosholu Parkway in an impoundment lot.

 

Norwood News went to the location in question and duly photographed a damaged silver BMW in the lot. We contacted the NYPD on Sunday, Oct. 17, provided the license plate number of the vehicle, and inquired about the crash in the context of the attempted armored car heist.

 

Sergeant Edward Riley responded and corroborated Shelton’s earlier report regarding the Norwood attempted heist, confirming there had been no arrests and that the investigation was ongoing.

In the context of the exchange, Riley confirmed that a crash did take place in Bedford Park at 340 E Mosholu Parkway South at 3.18 p.m. on Oct. 14. He also confirmed that the vehicle involved in the crash matched the license plate number we provided to him.

 

Riley further confirmed that on the same day, Oct. 14, shortly before the Bedford Park crash occurred, a robbery had taken place in Fordham Heights, involving the same vehicle. “A BMW Sedan committed a gunpoint robbery, removing jewelry from a victim in front of 364 E 188^th Street, where the vehicle proceeded to flee the location, and enter the 52 precinct,” Riley said.

 

He continued, “The driver side-swiped a parked vehicle, unattended, where the suspects were apprehended.” Riley said 32-year-old Akeem Palmer and 36-year-old Kevin Hall were charged with robbery in the first, second and third degree, and with criminal possession of a weapon (a loaded firearm). No address for either man was provided.

 

When contacted a second time to ask if the Norwood attempted robbery and subsequent crash in Bedford Park were related, the NYPD did not immediately respond to the request. Norwood News will continue to follow any developments with the case.