2 men rob woman of $207K in jewelry, cash by impersonating NYCHA workers, police say

Police are asking the public to help identify two men who allegedly impersonated NYCHA employees and stole more than $200,000 in jewelry and cash from a woman in a Brooklyn public housing apartment this month.

Police said the men entered a building at NYCHA’s Cypress Hills complex in East New York around 8:45 a.m. on Aug. 11 and robbed the 25-year-old woman at gunpoint. They took about $7,000 in cash and roughly $200,000 in jewelry from the home, according to NYPD officials.

Officials said one of the stolen items was an Audemars Piguet watch, which can retail for tens of thousands of dollars. The men fled on foot in an unknown direction, and the woman was not injured during the incident, the NYPD said.

One of the suspects was last seen wearing a green sweatshirt and green sweatpants, while the other was last seen wearing a blue sweater, according to police.

Robberies were down 23% this year through Aug. 24, compared to the same period last year, in the 75th Precinct, which includes East New York and Cypress Hills, NYPD data shows. Citywide, they have dropped 11% year over year.

Police are asking anyone with information about the robbery to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). People can also submit tips on the Crime Stoppers website.

This is a developing story based on preliminary information from police and may be updated.