Flushing Assaults Are Pattern Crimes
BY LIZ GOFF

Queens police officials and detectives at the Crimestoppers Hotline are calling on the public to help identify and locate two men who are being sought as suspects in a recent crime spate in Flushing Meadows- Corona Park.

At least nine bicyclists and joggers were assaulted and/or robbed while traveling through the park at night between November 22 and December 25, police said.

The latest victim was walking in the park near the Unisphere at about 6:40 p.m. on Christmas Day, when he was accosted and “bashed over the head with a metal object”, police sources said. He remains in a coma at Elmhurst Hospital Center, where doctors said the man is fighting for his life.

Police sources said investigators believe the as-yet unidentified man was the victim of a botched robbery attempt. It is not clear if the suspects got away with cash or valuables from the victim, the sources said.

Police last week released a photo of the “John Doe” to the media, hoping a friend or family member would recognize him and contact authorities.

Law enforcement sources said the victims ranged in age from 38 to 62, including a 55-year-old woman who was robbed and terrorized at about 8 p.m. on December 12 by a man who demanded cash and fled in an unknown direction.

The woman was the only victim not assaulted in the crime spree, which police connected as a pattern on December 12, the sources said.

Cops said most of the victims were assaulted near 111th Street between 46th and 52nd Avenues. Each of the attacks occurred swiftly and under the cover of darkness, police sources said.

“These guys make it almost impossible to identify them,” the sources said.

Police describe the suspects as young Hispanic males, the first about 5 feet, 8 inches tall with a stocky build. The second suspect is described as about 6 feet tall, weighing about 160 pounds. He was wearing a gray, hooded sweatshirt during the robberies, police said.

Anyone with information on the identity of the “John Doe” victim or the suspects is asked to call the Crimestoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS. The Hotline is offering a $2,000 reward to anyone with information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspects.