2 Men Tied To 2 Robberies In The West Village, Police Say

WEST VILLAGE, NY — Two robberies that occurred within days late last month have been linked to the same two suspects, police said.

Thursday, March 21 about 3:40 a.m., a 34-year-old man was walking near 13th and Washington Sts. when two men asked to borrow his cell phone, police said.

Police said the men demanded money from the victim in order to get his phone back. The man refused to hand over cash and the suspects punched him in the face, grabbed his wallet and fled, police said. The victim had pain and bruising but declined medical attention, according to police.

In a second instance, a 29-year-old man was approached by the two men, who asked for money Sunday, March 24 about 2:30 a.m., police said.

The victim refused, but the men were able to steal his wallet and flee the intersection at Little West 12th St. and 10th Ave., police said.

The men were described as 20- to 30-years-old and last seen wearing dark clothing.

Anyone with information in regard to the identities of the males is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or on Twitter @NYPDTips.

All calls are strictly confidential.