New York City

Stealing luck: Thieves accused of swiping lottery tickets worth thousands in NYC

Police said the suspects have so far managed to get away with lottery tickets valued at more than $7,000

Two suspects are wanted in what police believe are connected robberies where the alleged thieves made off with thousands of dollars worth of lottery tickets from New York City businesses.

Police said the duo first struck in the final week of December, on the 26th, when they hit a store on Eighth Avenue in the West Village.

Around 8:30 p.m., police said the suspects entered the store and "simulated a firearm" in order to steal roughly $2,100 worth of lottery tickets.

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Nearly two weeks later, police said the thieves struck again, this time over in Queens.

The duo allegedly popped into a store on Jan. 8 off Broadway in Astoria. Police said they pulled out a gun and managed to take tickets worth $4,800.

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No injuries were reported in either robbery, according to police.

The NYPD released surveillance images and video over the weekend in hopes of gaining the public's assistance in tracking down the alleged thieves.

In a video clip, the two appeared to hop the turnstile, with the second man carrying a container loaded up with the lottery tickets.

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