Man Wanted for Robbing 2 Upper East Side Businesses: Police

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Police are looking for a man they say is responsible for robbing two businesses on the Upper East Side. The robberies occurred during broad daylight almost a month apart, police said.

The first robbery occurred at the Tramway Newstand on 2nd Avenue near East 60th Street on July 12 around 4:30 p.m., police told Patch. During the robbery the man went behind the counter and told the cashier he would kill him if he didn't open the register, police said. The cashier opened the register and the robber got away with nearly $2,000 in cash and a cell phone before fleeing on East 60th Street, police said.

The same man is wanted in connection with a robbery that occurred this week. This time the man hit a smoke shop on 1st Avenue and East 63rd Street on Wednesday around 4 p.m., police said. The suspected robber placed a beverage and some change on the counter as if he was going to buy it, police said. But while the cashier was counting the change the man went behind the counter and briefly fought the cashier, police said. The man stole $450 in cash from the register before fleeing on 1st Avenue, police said. The cashier was not injured during the fight, police told Patch.

Police describe the robber as 30 to 40 years old, 6 feet all and bald. During the second robbery the alleged robber was wearing a surgical mask to disguise himself, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish. The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) and entering TIP577. All tips are confidential.

[Photo: NYPD]