Police Searching For Man Who Robbed A Teenager At Gunpoint On Cortelyou Road

Police have identified a suspect in connection with an armed robbery in Ditmas Park on a Friday in late September.

At approximately 8:30pm on September 30, the perpetrator pulled out a gun and approached a 15-year-old boy on a bicycle at the corner of Cortelyou Road and East 17 Street, said cops. “Take off your bookbag” he commanded, before snatching the teen’s backpack and burgundy-colored bike.

The victim was not injured, and none of the stolen items have been recovered, according to cops.

The suspect is described by police as a black man, approximately 20-years-old, 5 feet 8 inches tall, and 130 pounds. He has a dark complexion, black hair, and brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a blue shirt and blue pants.

The police surveillance video below shows the suspect walking on Cortelyou Road.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS 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 tips to 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

In September, Deputy Inspector James Palumbo cautioned residents that “youth on youth” robberies had spiked, mostly involving cell phone theft while walking to and from school.

There have been 24 reported robberies over the past month, but overall it’s a downward trend — reported robberies have decreased by 10 incidents compared to the same period last year, according to NYPD crime statistics.

See the map below of locations for the month’s reported robberies in the 70 Precinct, or view an interactive map here.