Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying two men connected to a break-in at a makeshift donation center Monday morning that was established to collect donations for victims of a recent Bronx fire.
Shortly after 4 a.m., the suspects allegedly smashed the front window at 738 Allerton Ave.—now known as the Allerton Resource and Recovery Center—and stole donations meant for victims of the Mayfair Apartments fire.
The thieves took diapers, clothing, and other supplies before fleeing on foot.
The local nonprofit, Allerton International Merchants Association, opened the center following the Jan. 10 blaze on Wallace Avenue, which displaced hundreds of families. Since then, the organization has collected donations, organized volunteers, helped locate missing pets, and provided updates to affected residents—many of whom remain without housing weeks after the fire.
Gene DeFrancis, who has been leading donation efforts through the Allerton International Merchants Association’s Facebook page, urged the community to stay strong.
“Be proud of this community,” DeFrancis said in a social media post. “In the face of tragedy, the people have answered the call and stuck together.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted confidentially online or via social media @NYPDTips.
