ARMED BANDITS HIT AVENUE L GROCERY

By Charles Rogers

Police said two men robbed this popular Avenue L Mini Market, at the corner of East 87th Street, the night before Thanksgiving. Charles Rogers Police are looking for two bandits who robbed the Mini-Market Grocery Store at 8702 Avenue L last week just as the store was closing.

Officials from the 69th Precinct Detective Squad said the two men entered the store shortly after 10 p.m. on Tuesday, November 25 and one of them pulled a black handgun from his belt, waved it at a store worker and demanded money from the cash register and the Lottery machine. When the thief got impatient, he went behind the counter and grabbed at least $2,000 from the Lottery receipts and then another $1,000 from the cash register.

Meanwhile, the second man pulled out a screwdriver from his back pocket and waved it at a male customer who tried to take it from him. Police said the customer was not robbed or injured in the tussle, which ended when both thieves fled out the door to Avenue L. It was not known whether they were on foot or in a car.

The bandits were described as black, with one standing five-feet, seven-inches, weighing about 160 and wearing a black jacket, blue jeans and a royal blue baseball cap. The other man stands about five-feet, eight inches, weighs about 150 and was wearing a black hoodie and a black vest with a black watch cap.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the 69th Precinct Detective Squad at (718) 257-6215 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS. All calls will be kept strictly confidential.