Police Searching For Men Who Stole Thousands Of Dollars In Cigarettes

The NYPD is asking the public’s assistance in locating the men in the above photos in connection to two incidents of stealing thousands of dollars worth of cigarettes from two different Rite Aid locations on Smith Street.

The first incident happened on Wednesday, June 14 at approximately 4:20am, according to the police. The individuals entered the Rite Aid located at 320 Smith Street (between Union and President Streets), grabbed $4,000 worth of cigarettes, and fled the store.

The second incident happened just ten minutes later, the police report. At approximately 4:30am, the individuals walked into a second Rite Aid located at 182 Smith Street (between Warren and Baltic Streets) and again removed $4,000 worth of cigarettes from the store’s shelves.

This time, a store employee approached the suspects as they were leaving the scene. One of the men pulled out a knife and slashed the employee on the arm, police say. The Rite Aid employee was taken to Methodist Hospital for treatment.

The suspects fled the scene in a black vehicle. The two men are described as black males with dark complexions, the police say.

Anyone with information in regards to these incidents 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 or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.