Law enforcement officials this week are trying to determine how a brazen bandit managed to grab a bag containing approximately $200,000 in cash from an armored truck in Corona on September 23 – and how the thief ran away with the cash without the truck’s two armed guards catching up with him.
The fleet-footed bandit pulled off the daylight heist at about 9 a.m. last Friday, as an armed courier from Garda Cash Logistics was pushing a hand truck with a canvas bag containing cash into PLS Check Cashers at 105-22 Northern Blvd., police said.
The 37-year-old courier unloaded the bag of cash from an armored car and was walking toward the check-cashing store when a man, described as Hispanic and in his 20s, grabbed another bag brimming with cash from the truck.
The unarmed thief, wearing a white T-shirt and black sweatpants, jumped into a waiting silver sedan that sped away.
Police sources said it is not clear where the guards were when the bandit grabbed the cash and fled into the vehicle. The check-cashing store has a security camera that scans the sidewalk outside the location, but investigators are not saying if the camera was working at the time of the heist.
Employees at Garda Cash Logistics refused to comment on the heist. A company spokesperson would not say if the money was marked, or if the guards would face disciplinary action.
Area residents and business owners on the mixed commercial strip were scratching their heads last weekend, asking how the thief could have outwitted the couriers.
“It’s crazy,” one business owner said. “How could this guy just run up and grab a bag like that? And why weren’t the guards able to grab him? It seems very strange that this guy knew just where the bag would be, inside the truck.”
Neighbors said the strip is one of the busiest places in the area. “How did this guy get away with it, while so many people were nearby?”, Hervez Molina said. “They must have been calculating this for a long time.”
Police questioned both couriers last week, along with employees at the check-cashing store who were stunned by the robbery.
“Everyone knows there is someone out there who knows this guy and where he is,” a law enforcement source said. “For sure, this guy is partying, and he’s not partying alone.”
Operators of PLS Check Cashers refused to comment on the ongoing investigation.
Police are urging anyone with information on the suspect to call the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS or click on www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.
All calls and emails will be kept strictly confidential.