A 27-year-old man was robbed of a sum of money at gunpoint while seated inside his car on Perry Avenue in the Norwood section of the Bronx late Tuesday evening, Feb. 17, the victim told Norwood News.

 

Speaking in Spanish, the victim explained that as he was driving along Perry Avenue in the direction of East Gunhill Road, between East Gun Hill Road and East 209th Street, he recognized a friend and stopped to double-park and speak to him. “Two people carrying guns appeared on foot in front of the car and demanded money,” he said, explaining that they did not enter the car and remained standing outside it.

“They were pointing the gun against the window pane,” he said, adding that at one point one of them fired one shot at the vehicle. Asked at what height the gun had been held when it was pointed at him, the victim said it was at the level of his head (through the glass). The bullet hole was later seen on the passenger side of the vehicle and had pierced the side of the engine section. Norwood News asked the man if he was hurt, and he said he had not been.

 

We asked the victim if the bullet had exited the vehicle and the man said he believes it is inside the engine still. When we said we imagined he was still in shock, the man said, “Yes.” Asked if he had handed over money, the young man said, “Yes, I took out some money and gave it to them.” He said he still has his wallet and added that the robbers left once they got the money. Asked how much money they got away with, he said around $2,000 in cash.

Norwood News asked the driver if it had been foreseen that he would meet his friend on the street, and he said no, that it was just by chance that they saw each other. Asked if his friend knew the robbers, he said he didn’t. He added that the police had arrived quickly to the scene.

 

Asked for a description of the thieves, the man said they were young, were dressed in black, and wore ski-masks and just one displayed a gun. Norwood News saw a group of young people wearing ski-masks and chatting close to the crime scene behind a high fence/enclosure in the front section of a nearby house.

About five minutes later, two young people wearing ski masks, but not dressed in all black, were seen walking down Perry Avenue in the direction of Bainbridge Avenue. One was carrying what looked like a plastic bag.

 

Asked if he had insurance, the victim said he had. A section of Perry Avenue was seen blocked off by police vehicles between the crime scene and East 209th Street.

Police later said that based on preliminary information, the incident occurred at around 8.08 p.m. on Tuesday night at 3327 Perry Avenue when two unidentified people approached the victim and demanded that he give them money.

 

“One of the individuals displayed a firearm,” the spokeswoman said, adding that we would need to call back later for more information as the investigation was ongoing. Major crime statistics for the 52nd Precinct, where the robbery took place, are attached.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crimestoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on X @NYPDTips.

 

All calls are strictly confidential