An armed goon robbed a delivery driver who was dropping off pies and cakes at a Fifth Avenue deli in a brazen daylight heist, then left the driver tied up in the back of his truck, according to witnesses and the victim.
It was a rough day for Michael Echavarria, who had been delivering Tabletop snacks for a Queens distributor for only six weeks when he got jacked for $400.
Echavarria had been making his normal twice-weekly delivery to Picardi Brothers Quality Meats between Ovington Avenue and 69th Street at around 3 pm, and had come in to pick up some unsold merchandise right before the gunman made his ballsy move.
“He stopped to make a delivery, he came in to take some returns, and he went back to the truck to get the fresh ones,” said Frank Cottone, the store’s owner.
The gunman jumped in the back of his truck, pointed a gun, and demanded cash, the victim said.
“He pushed me and said, ‘Give me the money,’ ” said Echavarria, who added that the gunman told him in Spanish, ‘This is a hold-up.’ ”
The perp, who Echavarria described as a 5-foot-10 Hispanic man, took the cash, then tied him up and closed the door. The bound driver then jumped through the front seat of the truck and ran into the deli.
Cops in the 68th Precinct are investigating.
Reach reporter Dan MacLeod at dmacleod@cnglocal.com or by calling him at (718) 260-4507. You can also follow his Tweets at twitter.com/dsmacleod.
