Three Men Robbed Ox Cart Tavern At Gunpoint Last Night

Three men robbed Ox Cart Tavern (1301 Newkirk Avenue) at gunpoint last night around 8:15pm, making off with about $700 to $800 after they went from table to table and demanded cash, as well as stealing from the restaurant itself, Chef David Pitula told us this morning.

Four men altogether were involved in the crime, with one man waiting in a getaway car while the others robbed the restaurant, David said. The entire incident took place in about five minutes, and thankfully no one was hurt.

As soon as they entered the restaurant, David said they pulled out a gun.

“Three guys came in with gloves, and they had their faces covered,” said David, who wasn’t at the restaurant at the time but spoke to his partner at Ox Cart, Jim Mamary, who was there. “They held up the restaurant. A couple tables gave up money… One table lost 170 bucks. Another table gave up 60 bucks, but they had a huge diamond ring and they didn’t ask for that. They weren’t interested in jewelry, just cash.”

“Everyone was shaken up, and thankfully nobody was hurt – that was our biggest concern,” David said.

Following the first 911 call, David said it took the police about 7 to 10 minutes to arrive.

“That’s a long time,” he said. “Somebody could be dead in that time.”

Following requests from neighbors as to if there’s anything they can do to help Ox Cart following this crime, David said that he’d encourage the community to advocate for a stronger police presence in the neighborhood – particularly in light of recent crimes, including the armed robbery at the Stratford Deli Tuesday evening, the armed robbery at Mimi’s, and the home invasion on Rugby Road, during which neighbor Leonard Phillips was murdered.

“The community can get more support from the 70th – get more patrols,” he said. “Businesses are moving in, and money’s moving in, and we’re a target.”

Additionally, David said Ox Cart plans on increasing security at their restaurant.

We are incredibly thankful that no one was hurt, and we’ve reached out to the 70th Precinct for more information about descriptions of the suspects. We’ll keep you updated, and if anyone else has any other information, you can email us at editor@ditmasparkcorner.com.