Members of the community are calling for justice after a 19-year-old was killed as she worked during a robbery at a Burger King in East Harlem, and her killer is still on the run. NBC New York’s Checkey Beckford reports.
Some $20,000 in rewards are being offered for information in the case of a 19-year-old cashier who was shot and killed at the Manhattan Burger King where she worked this past weekend, while an outraged community is demanding justice.
The NYPD announced a $10,000 reward on Wednesday, three days after Kristal Bayron-Nieves was shot in the torso at the fast-food restaurant on East 116th Street in East Harlem. Bayron-Nieves was taken to a hospital. Grocery magnate John Catsimatidis is offering another $10,000.
Cops have said an armed assailant walked into the franchise around 12:45 a.m., flashing his gun and demanding money from employees. He pistol-whipped a manager and customer who were inside at the time and fired one bullet, hitting Bayron-Nieves, before running off.
The young woman was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead a short time later.
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Police released a brief surveillance clip appearing to show the fully masked suspect pointing his firearm at one of the workers earlier this week. The gunman was dressed in head-to-toe black with few discernable distinguishing features.
He was also wearing gloves.
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Bayron-Nieves, who is said to have lived just a few blocks from the Burger King, had just started working there in the last few weeks.
One regular at the location, Philip Legrand, told News 4 he stopped by hours after the shooting and left a candle outside for the young woman.
"I got the white candle because it represents peace. She didn't deserve what she got," Legrand said. "We just need to do something about the violence that's going on right now, we really do."
The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
