A savage push-in robbery on Maclay Avenue in Zerega is causing concern, and does not fit the usual profile of similar types of home invasions.
A 27-year-old woman was accosted by two black women ages 20 to 30 at her apartment door after she had returned from food shopping at the Key Food in Westchester Square. The robbery occurred at 2510 Maclay Avenue at approximately 7 p.m. on Monday, January 2, said 45th Precinct Captain Russell Green.
The victim heard a knock at her apartment door as she was putting away her groceries. The two perpetrators said they were looking for a missing child who needed help, Green stated. When the victim opened the door they pushed their way in, and in a scuffle, she was slashed once in the chest and once on the neck. She was taken to Jacobi for treatment, Green stated.
The robbery doesn’t fit the usual profile of robberies of this nature, Green said. Usually, the perpetrators are male, so the description of two women committing the crime is odd, Green stated. Those aren’t the only irregularities.
“In my experience, a home robbery like this is usually drug related, but the people [living in the apartment] have no criminal history,” Green said. “Sometimes a business owner who deals with a lot of cash is targeted.”
A knife and the victim’s pocketbook were recovered, and the investigation is ongoing, Green stated. The crime holds a powerful lesson for anyone who receives an unexpected knock on their door, especially the elderly, Green said.
“This is just another example of why you should never open your door unless you know who is outside or are expecting someone,” Green said. “You can always call 911 and have the police verify who it is.”
Patrick Rocchio can be reach via e-mail at procchio@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 742-3393
