By AKANE OTANI
Ithaca Police are searching for a suspect tied to a strong-arm robbery that they say occurred early Monday morning on the 500 block of West State Street.
A male victim told police that, at around 3 a.m., a male subject in his twenties approached him and asked for a cigarette. The suspect then allegedly demanded the victim turn over his property, moving his hand around in his jacket pocket in a manner “similar to a person pointing a gun,” the Ithaca Police Department said in a press release.
The victim handed over his wallet, cell phone, backpack, jacket and other items. At that point, the male suspect allegedly made sexual advances toward the victim, IPD said.
The victim shoved the suspect, and the suspect fled on foot from the scene. Although the suspect never displayed a weapon, the victim told police that the suspect mentioned he had a handgun.
Police are continuing to investigate the incident. They described the suspect as being a black male who is about 5’9″ tall, weighs approximately 130 pounds, is clean shaven with short hair and was last seen wearing an orange puffy jacket with dark clothes underneath.