Bronx bodega delivery workers targeted in string of robberies

BRONX - Bodega delivery workers appear to be the targets of a concerning, brazen robbery scheme that has left many workers and bodega owners on edge.

The scheme typically unfolds with a call made to the bodega, placing an order for food and requesting change for a $100 bill, When the delivery worker arrives at the designated location, they are ambushed by thieves who steal the food, money and often the moped used for the delivery.

"The last moped that we had, the delivery guy had a gun pointed at him," said Jordy Pichardo Burgos, who works at the 056 Deli and Grocery in Grand Concourse. Two of the store's delivery workers have been robbed already. 

"It could have ended up really bad for him ...it's not really worth it," Pichardo said. 

"They are wearing helmets, glasses, and a mask. It's hard to identify them—they don't leave a clue behind," said Francisco Marte, president of the Bodega and Small Business Group. According to Marte, in just the past two weeks, six such robberies have been reported throughout the Bronx.

As a precaution, Marte is urging all bodega owners to avoid making late deliveries and to ensure all deliveries are paid for in advance, so delivery workers don’t have to carry cash. He also stressed the importance of reporting every crime to the police.