By Gus Saltonstall
A trio of Upper West Side businesses were damaged or burglarized on Thursday morning by two men wearing ski masks, police said.
The first incident took place at El Gallo Taqueria at 502 Amsterdam Avenue, between West 84th and 85th streets, around 6:20 a.m., when the two men broke into the business using a large rock, a police spokesperson told West Side Rag. The duo removed several items, but it is unclear specifically what they took as of 11 a.m. on Thursday.
Shortly after, the men again used a large rock to try to break into both Hummus Place and Frame Coffee at 305 Amsterdam Avenue, between West 74th and 75th streets, according to police and employees.
A window at the front entrance of Hummus Place was broken, but the burglars were unable to get into the restaurant, an employee who was cleaning up the broken glass on Thursday morning told West Side Rag.
The ski-mask-wearing burglars were able to get into Frame Coffee, though, after breaking the window above the front door. The duo proceeded to snag the cash register from behind the counter, toss it into a backpack, and flee the popular coffee shop, police and a manager at Frame Coffee told the Rag on Thursday morning.
However, the duo couldn’t get the register to open, and were also spotted running out of the shop, the manager told the Rag. The pair ended up getting a block away, but then doubled back and dumped the backpack with the cash register in front of Frame Coffee, the manager said, and police confirmed.
“We are open and we are fixing the door,” the manager told West Side Rag. “Maybe it was panic,” he added talking about the duo’s choice to abandon the register.
The two suspects were wearing all black and ski masks, NYPD said.
The investigation remains ongoing, and there have been no arrests.
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Here comes, “Nothing to see here. . . .crime is down. . ..nothing to see here”.
True ir False. If they brought the cash register back they can’t be charged with stealing jt. Just breaking and entering.
false: attempted robbery is still a crime
When thieves break into a business with the intent to steal, they have already committed a felony, and returning the property later does not erase or undo the crimes that were already completed. (from a quick google)