A 34-year-old Asian man was robbed of his prescription glasses in a violent attack involving a gel gun on the New York City subway on Sunday.
The incident, initiated by a group of muggers, began inside a Manhattan-bound No. 7 train at the Main Street station in Flushing at around 4:30 p.m., according to police.
The group allegedly approached and harassed the victim. They then punched him and shot him with a “gel shot imitation pistol,” which police say used water-absorbing polymer as “ammo,” as per the New York Post.
In the struggle, the suspects tried to snatch the victim’s gold chain but failed. The victim managed to move to another car near the front of the train.
However, the attack did not end there. As the victim got off at the Jackson Heights – Roosevelt Avenue/74th Street station, the perps followed, snatched his $500 prescription Ray-Ban glasses and smacked him in the face, the New York Daily News reported.
Police on Monday released surveillance images of the suspects, whom they described as being in their late teens or early 20s. The group was last seen boarding a Jamaica-bound F train.
The victim did not require medical treatment. It was not immediately clear whether the incident is being investigated as a hate crime.
The suspects remain at large. Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS.
Featured Image via New York Police Department
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