Pair Linked To String Of Violent Attacks In Chelsea And Downtown

CHELSEA, NY — A pair of robbers are thought to be behind a string of violent attacks in Chelsea and Downtown this week, police said.

On Nov. 13, police said two men attacked a 76-year-old man as he entered the lobby of his Chelsea apartment building. Shocking surveillance footage showed the men slamming their victim against a wall, then throwing him to the ground before they ran away empty handed.

Police now think one or both of the men in the video are linked to at least three other robberies or attempted robberies in Manhattan this month.

On Nov. 11, police said one of the men followed a 66-year-old woman into a Chelsea store near W. 26th Street and Seventh Avenue at 5 p.m. before trying to grab her purse and pulling her to the ground, police said. The woman held onto her purse and the man ran away. The victim was not seriously injured.

The next day, one of the men followed a 21-year-old woman into her Financial District apartment building. When the woman opened the door to enter her apartment, the man grabbed her from behind and forced his way inside, according to police.

The woman's roommate heard the noise and the man ran from the building without managing to steal anything, police said. The woman was not seriously injured.

Police released surveillance footage on Nov. 16 showing the man following the woman as she enters her building.

On Nov. 15 at 8 p.m., the men followed a 65-year-old man as he walked in Chelsea near W. 19th Street and Eighth Avenue, police said. The men approached him from behind and forcibly grabbed his wallet, which contained about $60, the NYPD said. The two men reportedly ran from the area after grabbing the wallet.

Image credit: Courtesy of the NYPD