Two crooks committed six gunpoint robberies in a two-hour span in the city early Tuesday — and one of them brazenly declared “I’ll be out on bail in 24 hours” when he was arrested, according to police and video of the bust.
Alvin Velez, 34, and 24-year-old Carlos Perez — both out on parole and arrested just two weeks ago on drug charges — traveled in a white Toyota Sienna minivan and allegedly robbed either personal property, cash or both from their victims, cops said. No one was hurt.
The duo was arrested when they crashed their ride in the Bronx following the string of heists — and one of them seemed confident he wouldn’t be back behind bars for long.
“I’ll be out on bail in 24 hours,” he said in a video recorded by FOX 5 as he was led into an unmarked cop car. “I’ll be out on bail.”
The crooks began their alleged spree just before 1 a.m. on Alstyne Avenue near 104th Street in Corona, Queens, swiping a necklace from their victims, police said.
Minutes later, they headed to the next crime scene — Queens Boulevard near 65th Street in Sunnyside, Queens, where they allegedly stole a wallet holding an unspecified amount of cash and a cell phone, authorities said.
They moved to Brooklyn about 40 minutes later, where they allegedly robbed someone of an unspecified amount of cash at North 11th Street and Wythe Avenue in Williamsburg, cops said.
They were back in Queens about 15 minutes later — allegedly ripping off credit cards and cash during their next heist at 72nd Street and Broadway in Jackson Heights, authorities said.
Their first alleged Manhattan crime came around 2:40 a.m., when they’re accused of robbing a food truck worker parked outside New York University’s Elmer Holmes Bobst Library on Washington Square South near LaGuardia Place, cops said. An unspecified amount of cash was stolen, police said.
They then drove farther uptown, allegedly committing their final robbery on Seaman Avenue near West 204th Street in Inwood, Manhattan, around 3:10 a.m., police said. There, they allegedly stole the victim’s bag, holding “personal property,” cops said.
But the duo’s illicit spree came to an end when they crashed their Toyota at Cedar Avenue and West 179th Street in University Heights in the Bronx, where they were spotted by NYPD Aviation around 4 a.m., cops said.
It’s unclear when cops became aware of the suspects’ alleged robbery exploits, but Velez was arrested at the scene, and a gun was recovered from the glovebox of the minivan, police said.
Perez ran off, but cops caught up with him in the courtyard area of a building on Sedgwick Avenue. He too was taken into custody, cops said.
Sources said the pair are expected to be hit with federal charges Wednesday.
Police said the victims were chosen at random. Cops are probing whether the two men are behind additional robberies.
Velez has 10 prior arrests and is on parole for attempted murder, police sources said.
Perez has been arrested nine times before and is on parole for criminal possession of a weapon, according to the sources.
Additional reporting by Tina Moore
