A Chinese man was robbed by a homeless woman while withdrawing money in Flushing; passersby helped arrest the robber.

[ Reported by Zhang Jing, Qiao Bao, New York] A 78-year-old Chinese man was recently robbed by a homeless woman while withdrawing money from an ATM in downtown Flushing. He shouted for help and was fortunately rescued. With the assistance of witnesses and bank employees, the robber was subdued and the police were called. Officers from the 109th Precinct arrested 19-year-old Antoinette Clarke and charged her with petit larceny.

According to the NYPD, police received a report of a theft at approximately 12:22 PM on March 2nd at a Citibank branch located at 38-17 Main Street, Flushing. Officers from the 109th Precinct arrived at the scene. The victim, a 78-year-old man, stated that he had withdrawn $800 from an ATM when he was suddenly robbed by a stranger. Police arrested the suspect, Antoinette Clarke, and charged her with petty theft.

One of the members of the New York Firearms Association, a witness to the incident, stated that he was waiting in line at the bank when he suddenly heard an elderly Chinese man behind him shouting, "Grab her, it's robbery!" As a correctional officer, he immediately intervened and, together with a bank employee, stopped the robber. The robber was a young, dirty, and disheveled African American woman, possibly homeless. He showed his badge and asked the woman to wait for the police to arrive, then immediately called the police. The elderly Chinese man held onto his money tightly during the robbery, preventing the robbery from succeeding and remaining unharmed.

That evening, the New York Firearms Shooting Association and AAC Social Security Team member Pan Zhengqiang shared the message on social media, reminding Chinese Americans to be vigilant about suspicious individuals when withdrawing money.