The armed duo wanted for shooting a Queens merchant and stealing his pricey Rolex have been nabbed, police said Thursday.
Elier Sanchez, 23, and Danilxon Alvarez, 34, have been charged with attempted murder, robbery and gun possession in the chaotic November incident, in which they allegedly blasted the victim in his abdomen and both legs.
According to a police source, Sanchez is a Venezuelan migrant who was living at a migrant shelter on Randalls Island. It was not immediately clear if he is a gang member. Alvarez, who has no other prior arrests, lives on Long Island, in Elmont, police said.
The violent robbery happened the night of Nov. 8 when the suspects barged into the Top-in-Town Wireless store on Steinway St. in Astoria.
According to court papers, Sanchez entered the store first and, posing as a legitimate customer, asked merchant Kunwarjee Singh, 40, to fetch him an item. Alvarez then entered the store and jumped over the counter, as Sanchez meanwhile whipped out a gun.
Kunwarjee tried to escape from behind the counter but Sanchez blasted him in the abdomen, according to court papers. Sanchez then wrestled the merchant down to the ground, pistol-whipping him in his face and on his head and shooting him in his legs, after which Alvarez finally wrestled the expensive Rolex off the wounded merchant’s wrist.
The suspects sped off on a scooter, with Singh immediately phoning his brother.
“He called me and said, ‘There were two of them. I got shot,’ and then the phone hung up,” 48-year-old Gurpreet Singh said at the time. “My brother is a very tough guy. We deal with a lot of crazy people. My brother is not the sort of person to give in easily, he doesn’t let people rob him.”
The victim, who was rushed to Elmhurst General Hospital, was left with serious injuries from the attack but is said to be recovering. After the incident, he was left with nerve damage to his left leg, a fractured right ankle and was initially “paralyzed,” confined to a wheelchair, according to court papers.
A day after the shooting, police released surveillance photos of the suspects to the media.
Sanchez was arrested Jan. 4 for petty larceny, at which point police suspected he was also one of the two alleged shooters wanted in the Astoria Rolex robbery.
Alvarez was arrested in New Jersey this Wednesday and extradited back to the city.
The two men have been indicted for attempted murder, robbery and gun possession. Each has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail.