Photo Courtesy of NYPD
Martinez was allegedly caught on security footage during his reign of terror.
By Forum Staff
Alfonso Martinez, 17, of Van Cleef Street, approached his victims – mostly women – from behind, threatening them with a sharp object then running off with their belongings.
“The defendant in this case is accused of going on a knife-point robbery spree in October. The young defendant’s violence escalated with each robbery – – from stabbing and slashing to pummeling a woman in the face to the point that her front tooth was broken,” explained DA Brown.
Martinez is in custody and was arraigned before Queens Criminal Court Judge David Kirschner on a complaint charging him with first- and second-degree assault, first- and second degree robbery, first-degree attempted robbery, fourth-degree grand larceny and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
On October 24, 2018, the teen began a series of hold-ups at approximately 10 p.m. The first victim, a woman walking on 94th Street was approached from behind. Martinez placed a knife to her throat. Martinez spoke Spanish, and demanded her mobile phone and purse and threatened to cut her if she did not comply. The victim gave up her iPhone and purse with about $600 in cash, and Martinez ran off. At approximately 11:30 p.m., another woman walking on 104th Street was grabbed from behind and had a hand placed over her mouth. This time Martinez reached into the victim’s pocket took her cell phone and stabbed her in the upper arm and lower wrist as he fled the scene.
On that same night at around 11:40 p.m., another woman was approached from behind and had a knife held to her throat. In Spanish, Martinez ordered her to give him her bag. He then pulled the bag from her shoulder and slashed her forearm with the blade. Then on October 28, the defendant targeted a man, moments after he exited an Uber and was walking on 103rd Street. He placed a knife to his neck and again in Spanish, ordered the man to give up his money and phone. Before running off, Martinez stabbed him twice in the neck.
On October 30, 2018, the violent teen pounced on another woman walking on Alstyne Avenue shortly after midnight. She was hit on the back of the head with an unknown object and knocked to the ground. She was then hit repeatedly in the face with a blunt instrument leaving her with cuts to her nose, lip and around her left eye. A tooth was broken and her shoulder was also bruised. Martinez got away with her duffle bag which contained cash and credit cards. At the time of his arrest the defendant allegedly had a razor blade in his left pants pocket.
