NYPD searches for tobacco shop bandit and criminal in Chelsea attack

The employee of a tobacco shop in Manhattan was beaten and robbed overnight by a bandit dressed in black, police said.

The robber entered the store at 370 Third Avenue, near East 27th Street, around 1:40 a.m. Saturday and punched the 26-year-old man behind the cash register in the face, police said.

The thief stole an unknown amount from the cash register and fled. Emergency services took the victim to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition, New York police said. No arrests were made.

Police are also searching for a man who sexually assaulted a woman on the street in Chelsea this week.

The madman approached a 28-year-old woman at the corner of West 26th Street and 11th Avenue at around 3:45 a.m. on Tuesday, pulled down her pants and grabbed her butt, police said.

The pervert was last seen running east on West 26th Street, authorities said. The victim refused medical attention at the scene.

The NYPD released a photo on Saturday of the suspect, who is approximately 5'8″ tall and of medium skin tone. He was wearing a blue basketball jersey with white lettering over an orange T-shirt. He was also wearing blue shorts and white sneakers.

Anyone with information regarding this incident 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 Crime Stoppers website at or by emailing X @NYPDTips.