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HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – Police are still searching for three gunmen who impersonated police officers, entered a local business owner’s home and tied up and robbed the family Tuesday morning. Hastings Lt. David Dosin said no arrests had been made as of Tuesday afternoon and police are still searching for the men.
“There are patrol cars canvassing the area,” he said. “We’ve alerted all of the surrounding agencies and the detectives are trying to ascertain more information and get some leads.”
Mantung Cheng, the owner of New China restaurant on Warburton Ave. said the three men identified themselves as police officers and then forced their way into his Main Street apartment before tying him up along with his wife, father and mother. The men then robbed them.
“They tied up my family,” said Cheng while working behind the counter at his restaurant Tuesday afternoon. “They tried to get my money. If I know them I can catch them, but I don’t know them.”
Dosin said police received “numerous calls” this morning regarding the incident and the three men forced their way into Cheng’s home at approximately 9 a.m.
“Three suspects all armed with handguns, identified themselves as police officers and forced their way into the victim’s apartment,” the press release said. “The suspects demanded money from the victims and attempted to remove a safe from the premise. The suspects were unable to remove the safe from the apartment and fled with an unknown amount of cash.”
Cheng said the robbers were not able to make off with too much money though despite the ordeal.
“A little cash, not a lot, from a couple days of business, one, maybe two days of business,” he said.
Having owned the New China restaurant with his wife for the past 20 years, Cheng said the invasion surprised him, especially since it happened so early.
“It’s this morning you know not like a nighttime thing,” he said. “Why do it in the morning?”
Isaac Garson, owner of Slices on Main St., said that neighbors heard the incident and called police.
“Somebody heard them screaming and called the police and they found them tied up with either yarn or some kind of rope,” he said.
The whole incident has left some residents shaken up after hearing the details according to Garson.
“People are nervous because of what happened at Madaba Deli, there was somebody else that was followed and robbed and then this is number three,” he said. “There’s just a tension in the air.”
Garson said he’s sensed a real fear in local residents coming in and out of his restaurant while discussing the invasion.
“It’s surprising, but it’s just the way the world is now,” he said. “People are desperate, desperate measure, desperate times.”
No further information has been released by police at this time, except a description of “three males who fled in an unknown direction of travel.”
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