Butter Knife Bandit Scoots Away After Failed Queens Robbery: NYPD

QUEENS, NY — A scooter-riding youth armed with a butter knife tried to rob a woman's phone in a Queens subway station, police said.

The half-baked attempted robbery last week didn't go well for the teen, who scooted away from the Elmhurst Avenue station without the phone after the woman screamed for help, authorities said.

Police spread a photo of the youth early Wednesday and asked the public for help identifying him.

The butter knife bandit struck Sept. 7 about 10:25 p.m. after a 44-year-old woman walked on a subway platform from an E train, police said.

The youth asked to use the woman's phone, but she refused, authorities said. He then followed her to the station's mezzanine, where he flashed a butter knife and demanded her phone, police said.

The woman's cries for help apparently melted any criminal courage the teen had, and he rode away on his scooter, NYPD officials said.

The teen is described as about 5 feet 10 inches tall, 100 pounds, a thin build and short, black hair, police said. He was last seen wearing a black T-shirt, dark blue pants and white sneakers.

People with information are asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). They can also submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on Twitter @NYPDTips.