BY THE VILLAGE SUN | Umm…maybe consider a cheap Casio?
If you’re sporting some time-telling bling on your wrist — specifically a Rolex — in the Village on the weekend, better watch your back…or you just might get choked out.
According to police, a Rolex-hunting robber has been targeting twentysomething males in the early-morning hours. In each case, the crook came up from behind the victim, put him in a chokehold until he lost consciousness, then fled with his watch. So far, there have been three reported incidents in the Manhattan crime pattern.
The first came on Sat., June 15, around 3:30 a.m. The unidentified man approached a 29-year-old male from behind at 147 Christopher St., near St. Veronica’s Church, choked him unconscious, then absconded with his tony timepiece. The victim was uninjured.
One month later, on Sun., July 14, around 2:40 a.m., the same suspect, according to police, crept up behind on a 27-year-old man at 42 Morton St., between Seventh Avenue South and Hudson Street, then clamped him in a chokehold. Once the victim passed out, the robber removed his Rolex and ran off. The victim suffered minor injuries and pain but was not taken to the hospital.
As for his own personal time frame, the robber appears to work at a one-watch-per-month pace. Like clockwork, on Fri., Aug. 9, around 1:05 a.m., he used the same M.O., coming up from behind a 26-year-old Gen Z’er at the 14th Street I.R.T. station at Seventh Avenue and choking him out before ripping off his “Rollie.” He then fled on foot, heading southbound. Complaining of pain, the victim was taken to New York-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital in stable condition.
Police ask that anyone with information call the N.Y.P.D.’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted on the Crime Stoppers Web site at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or on X at @NYPDTips. All tips are strictly confidential.
A tip leading to an arrest and indictment can lead to a $3,500 reward.
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