Armed Subway Mugger Who Told Victims “I Have A Gun With A Silencer” Arrested, Then Mysteriously Hospitalized

A man believed to be behind as many as eight armed subway robberies was arrested after his latest mugging, which occurred at Gravesend’s Avenue U station on the F line.

CBS News reports:

Eric Gay, 43, of Brooklyn, is charged with three counts of robbery. Investigators believe he may be responsible for as many as eight muggings since Sunday.

As CBS 2′s Alice Gainer reported, each time, the suspect allegedly walked up to his victims, said he had a gun with a silencer and then robbed them.  However, they also said none of the victims actually saw the weapon the attacker claimed to have.

The attacks took place in the East Village, West Village, Queens and Brooklyn, police said.  Items the suspect stole ranged from iPods to cellphones, cash and MetroCards.

It was the Gravesend robbery that lead to his arrest. Gay allegedly robbed a man of an Android phone at the Avenue U station. Police tracked the phone and canvassed the area nearby, with the victim riding along. The witness spotted him, and cops made the bust.

Gay was taken to Kings County Hospital Center before being booked at the Brooklyn Robbery Squad. It’s unclear why he was hospitalized, and a follow-up by Gothamist returned no leads.