Suspect sought in knife-point robbery of teen aboard Q train: NYPD

The NYPD is seeking to identify a man accused of mugging a teenager at knifepoint aboard a Q train earlier this month.

The incident occurred at 1:20 p.m. on Dec. 14, when a 17-year-old boy was riding a northbound Q train approaching the Sheepshead Bay station.

According to police, a man approached the teen, displayed a knife, and demanded his phone. After the teen complied, both exited the train, where the suspect allegedly ordered the victim to surrender his sweater and backpack. The suspect then fled the station on foot with the stolen belongings.

The teen was not injured, authorities said.

On Tuesday, police released security camera footage of the alleged suspect and requested the public’s assistance in identifying him. He is described as a man with a medium complexion and braids. He was last seen wearing a blue jacket, a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt, and a black-and-white bandana.

According to the latest Police Department data, robberies are down 19% year over year in Sheepshead Bay’s 61st Precinct, where the Dec. 14 incident occurred. So far this year, there were 139 reported robberies as of Dec. 29, when the most recent data is available — down from 173 during the same period in 2023.

However, reports of transit crimes within the precinct, which also includes Kings Bay, Gravesend, and Manhattan Beach, have risen 71.4% in 2024, with 24 recorded incidents compared to 14 the previous year.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish speakers. Tips can also be submitted online at Crime Stoppers or on X @NYPDTips. All information will be kept confidential.