The NYPD is asking for the public’s help identifying the people seen in the attached photos who department officials say are sought in connection with a robbery that occurred in Bedford Park. However, employees at the store later said the incident arose due to a misunderstanding between two employees.

 

 

Police said the group then damaged shelves and store merchandise before fleeing the location in a white BMW toward Van Cortland Avenue East. “The 33-year-old victim was transported to Montefiore Medical Center and treated for a broken thumb and bruises to his head and body,” the spokesperson said. “The 49-year-old victim sustained bruises to his body and head.”

Norwood News asked the NYPD if the affected employees were working at the gas station, the store or the Dunkin Donuts but they were unable to confirm. The photos appear to be taken inside the store area. We are following up on the story and will provide a further update soon.

 

The manager at the store later told Norwood News on Monday, May 22, that there was a misunderstanding and that one of the employees on the day of the incident thought one of the customers had not paid for goods, questioned him about it, and that that was what started the melee.

 

The manager told Norwood News in part, “So, my co-workers were working over here. Four guys came. They bought something, and my other guy didn’t know that they paid. They left, so my coworker came outside and he asked them, ‘Did you pay inside?’ So, they didn’t say anything. They opened a juice bottle and they poured it on my coworker and they start punching my coworker.”

 

He said two other co-workers then went outside to help their colleague and said to the customers, “No fight, no fight, no fight, no fight.” He said some of the workers got injured in the face, in the ribs and the finger. “Then they threw a baseball bat at him,” the manager said of one of his colleagues.

 

The manager continued, “It was a misunderstanding, but then they started beating on them for no reason. So, then they broke my stuff over here and they broke my TV, they broke my freezer. It was a whole thing. I have a video if you want to see?”

 

Asked if he knew or had seen the customers before, the manager said, “I have never seen them before.” Asked how his colleagues were doing, he said, “There was two co-workers injured. Because they’ve been punching them in the ribs, one of them got injured in the ribs. They went to the hospital.” The manager said as of Monday they were resting at home.

He continued in part, “If two people are working, and you didn’t pay attention to the customer, you have a right to ask them if they paid or not, you know? You can’t be violent like that. You have to be human.”

 

We checked this account of the incident with the NYPD and they said that while the investigation is ongoing regarding the sequence of events, “property was removed” from the store.

 

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 Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, on Twitter @NYPDTips.

 

All calls are strictly confidential.