Trio Robs Teen, Rite Aid And Cabbie In Astoria Crime Spree: NYPD

ASTORIA, QUEENS -- Police are searching for a group of thieves who allegedly jumped a 15-year-old, assaulted a Rite Aide employee over stolen umbrellas, and robbed their taxi driver at knifepoint in an hours-long crime spree spree through Astoria on Friday.

The mayhem started just before noon when the three suspects - who cops estimate to be in their teens - pulled a knife on the boy riding his bicycle near 23rd Street and Broadway and pushed him to the ground, cops said. The group took the boy's bicycle and an iPhone 6S that fell out of his pocket during the tussle and fled, leaving him with a scraped shin.

Hours later, the trio tried to shoplift three umbrellas from a Rite Aid on 34th Avenue and Steinway Street but were caught by a 50-year-old employee, police said.

When the man tried to stop them, they whacked him with an umbrella and punched him in the face before fleeing north on Steinway Street with the stolen goods, cops said. The employee suffered minor injuries from the assault.

From there, the trio hailed a taxi and road it just over two miles before pulling a knife on their 42-year-old driver near 1st Avenue and Astoria Boulevard, police said. They stole $81 from the cab's center console and fled into a building down the block.

Cops estimated all three of the perps to be between 15 and 19 years old. Two of the perps were each described to be about 5-foot-6 and 145 pounds. One was last seen in a red du-rag and a black "Metallica" T-shirt and the other in a black du-rag and a black "I Prevail" T-shirt.

The third perp is estimated to be about 5-foot-11 and roughly 190 pounds with a medium build and close-cut black hair. He was last seen in a white T-shirt, black pants and white sneakers.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).

Lead photos via NYPD