Driver carjacked in West Village by machete-wielding muggers
A 27-year-old man was carjacked by a trio of crooks, one of whom wielded a machete, who forced him out of his parked car in midtown Manhattan and fled in the stolen vehicle, police say.
The victim was sitting in his Honda CR-V parked outside the Manhattan Seventh-day Adventist Church on W. 11th Street near Waverly Pl. in the West Village when two men opened the unlocked driver’s side door and forced him out of the vehicle just before 5 a.m. on November 19. Just in case the car owner was thinking about fighting, a third man then approached and swung a machete at him, officers said.
The man with the machete and another car thief jumped into the compact SUV and sped off, heading west on W. 11th St., leaving behind the third crook, who ran east, police said.
No injuries were reported.
On Wednesday, police released images of the carjackers and asked for the public’s help in identifying them. Cops described the three suspects as light-skinned men.
The man with the machete was last seen wearing a gray jacket, ripped blue jeans and white sneakers. The man who fled on foot was last seen wearing dark-colored clothing and blue and white Nike sneakers.
Honda CR-Vs, especially older models, are popular targets for car thieves.
Despite the brazen machete carjacking, the West Village’s 6th Precinct is among the safest in the city.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will remain confidential.
