Two Thugs Rob Senior Woman; MSK Bomb Scare Suspect Pleads Not Guilty
Robbery on East 61st Street and a Memorial Sloan Kettering crime mystery.
| 23 Mar 2026 | 04:01
Police and the FDNY responded to a suspicious package in the lobby of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center on March 14 for what was initially feared to be an explosive. A former employee indentified as William Johnson was charged days later. (
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Wanted for robbery near East 61st Street and York Avenue, March 13, 2026. (
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The New York City Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the two individuals wanted in connection with the robbery of a senior woman within the confines of the 19th Precinct. Details are as follows:
It was reported to police that on Friday, March 13, 2026, at approximately 2017 hours, a 75-year-old female victim was in the vicinity of East 61st Street and 1st Avenue when two unidentified individuals approached her from behind and grabbed her purse. The victim fell to the ground and the individuals fled into the 59th street-Lexington subway station with her purse. EMS responded and treated the victim on scene for minor injuries.
The first suspect is described as a male with a dark complexion and slim build. He was last seen wearing all black clothing with white sneakers.
The second suspect is described as male with a dark complexion and slim build. He was last seen wearing all black clothing, carrying a grey backpack.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, on X @NYPDTips.
Memorial Sloan Ketting Bomb Scare Suspect in Court
William Johnson, the alleged perpetrator of Memorial Sloan Ketting bomb scare on the afternoon of Saturday March 14, is free again.
Arrested later day that, the 39-year-old former MSK employee was arraigned the following Monday and charged with placing a false bomb, falsely reporting an incident and aggravated threat of mass harm.
Represented by a court appointed attorney Rick James Pasacreta, Johnson pleaded not guilty. Bail was set at $50,000 cash, $150,000 bond. On March 18, this bail was paid and Johnson was released.
Deparment of Correction records describe Johnson as a white male, 5 foot 7 inches, 160 pounds, with brown eyes and “other” color hair.
According to the criminal complaint, however, Johnson walked into the MSK lobby at 1275 York Ave. near East 68th Street seeking to go to the building’s 14th floor around noon. An MSK responded by giving Johnson a sticky note and asking him to write down his doctor’s name.
Instead, Johnson wrote, “I am being held against my will and I am unable to make a judgement. This is a life threatening bomb in my bag.” Johnson then placed a backpack on a nearby chair and dropped a white bag on the ground before fleeing.
A partial evacuation and massive police response followed, including the NYPD Emergency Service Unit and Bomb Squad. After testing, cops ascertained that neither the backpack nor the bomb were in fact explosive.
In a now deleted page on the MSK website, there was an entry, including a photo roughly matching that of his jail description, for William Johnson, DO (Doctor of Oncology), Lymphona Specialist. Whether this is the same William Johnson of the MSK bomb threat, who is due back in court on May 4, is presently unclear.