Armed crook dressed up as a UPS forces his way into NYC home, ties up family, steals over $7,000
An armed robber dressed up as a UPS deliveryman forced his way into a family apartment in the Bronx, telling a couple and their grandchildren to tie themselves up before walking away with more than $7,500 in cash – including $230 in a kid’s piggy bank, police said Tuesday.
Two unidentified men, including one who was pretending to be a UPS worker, confronted a 60-year-old grandmother when she answered the door to her apartment on Billingsley Terrace in Morris Heights at about 5 p.m. on Monday.
Wearing an all-brown outfit and a winter cap with a fake UPS logo on it, the man flashed a silver handgun he had secretly placed in a delivery box he was carrying, according to the NYPD.
After forcing his way into the apartment, which was caught by the surveillance cameras at the complex, the fake UPS driver’s accomplice is seen wearing a black face mask, jeans and a black hoodie and is covering him in the hallway.
‘Don’t say anything,’ the gunman allegedly told the victims. ‘Don’t do anything so we can get this done quick.’
The accomplice then took out a set of cable ties and said: ‘Tie yourselves up with these,’ according to the NYPD.
The Hispanic woman, her 63-year-old husband and their grandchildren, including an eight-year old boy and a six-year-old girl, tied themselves up as they watched the robbers steal their personal items – two iPhones, an iPad, personal documents, a safe and the piggy bank, which belonged to one of the grandchildren.
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Two armed crooks, one of them disguised as a UPS worker (front), forced themselves into a Bronx family apartment in NYC on Monday, tied up the family and stole over $7K, a child’s piggy bank, two iPhones, an iPad and personal documents – including passports, bank cards and official documents
The other robber (back) was dressed in jeans, wearing a black face mask and a black hoodie
The robbery happened at Billingsley Terrace in Morris Heights around 5p.m. in the Bronx on Monday. At the time of the incident, the apartment was occupied by a Hispanic family, including a 60-year-old grandmother, her 63-year-old husband and their two grandchildren
‘They took everything. They took everything for Christmas,’ the grandfather told CBS 2 New York, as translated by superintendent Raul Ortiz.
‘It’s home invasion – worse than robbery. Tie you up and everything,’ Ortiz added.
Their adult son wasn’t at home at the time of the robbery and chose not to reveal his identity, police said.
‘They’re scared. They’re still scared,’ the son said, describing his family members’ condition.
‘They took the kids’ phones and tablets… took cash they found around the house.’
The victims came out of the incident unscathed. At this time, the family has declined to shared their personal information, according to the NYPD.
Surveillance video in the apartment building released by NYPD’s Crime Stoppers unit shows the two crooks walking in the hallway before leaving the apartment.
Pictured: One of the crooks leaves the apartment complex with several packages
Pictured: The two crooks outside of Billingsley Terrace in Morris Heights at night time. So far, no arrests have been made as the NYPD continues to try and identify the two robbers
Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspects and tracking them down.
No arrests have been made at this time, the NYPD told Dailymail.com.
‘I hope they catch him,’ Ortiz said.
‘These people, they’re nice people,’ he said of the family who was robbed. They don’t bother nobody.’
Police are asking residents not to open their front doors if they’re not expecting a package delivery or if they don’t recognize their usual delivery person, or if they feel that something isn’t right.
Police say residents should tell a delivery person to leave the box outside the door.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
