Robbery on Eighth Avenue exposes “culture of silence”

A Chinese massage shop in Sunset Park was robbed at knifepoint in the early hours of the morning by three suspects. About eight employees and customers were trapped inside for roughly half an hour. The suspects assaulted victims with punches, kicks, and threats, forcing them to hand over money and valuables from the shop and from their personal belongings.

But the case highlights more than the security risks that come with a 24-hour business. It also reflects a deeper, long-running issue among some Chinese-owned businesses: fear of calling the police, and fear of public attention. If this “culture of silence” continues, the cost will not be paid only by individual businesses, but by the overall community.

A terrifying night at the massage parlor

Around 3 a.m. on Nov. 30, three tall suspects wearing hats and posing as customers entered a Chinese massage parlor on Eighth Avenue. A Chinese woman working there was the first to greet them. As she turned to lead the group toward rooms in the back, one suspect suddenly pulled out a knife and held it to her neck while roughly yanking her hair. A male employee who came to the front desk to check what was happening was also restrained in a similar way by another suspect.

The suspects then forced the two employees toward the back of the shop, ordered everyone present to lie face down on the floor, and searched employees and customers, taking cash, jewelry, coats, and other valuables. One female employee later recalled that even after people handed over everything they had, the suspects insisted they were hiding more, kept yelling threats, and continued punching and kicking them.

She said some employees did not understand English and could not follow the suspects’ commands quickly enough, which led to more beatings. “I saw my coworker getting hit over and over because he didn’t understand,” she said. “I lifted my head to answer for him, and then I got kicked.”

Beyond taking valuables, the suspects rummaged through the shop, searching for anything worth money, and did not leave immediately after the first haul. Multiple parts of the shop were badly damaged. Altogether, the losses totaled at least tens of thousands of dollars.

Silence fuels crime

Serious walk-in robberies like this are not uncommon in Sunset Park, though they were more frequent before the COVID-19 pandemic. What made this case stand out in police reporting was the sheer brazenness: the suspects controlled the scene and kept everyone inside the shop, leaving only after they believed there was nothing else to take.

I highlight how extreme this case was not only because of the violence itself, but because it suggests there may be other victims in the community whose cases were never reported or recorded. As a community reporter, I often hear residents complain, “My shop got robbed.” When I ask, “Did you call the police?” the reflexive response is often, “What’s the point? The police can’t do anything.” Some people face language barriers. Some feel it is too much trouble. In the end, many decide not to pursue it.

Reporting this story was not without its challenges. When one employee heard that journalists wanted to interview the victims, they immediately became guarded: “Why make this public? Customers won’t come.”

In mainstream society, seeking help after being victimized is seen as natural. But among some Chinese-owned businesses, incidents like this come with many worries: fear that publicity will hurt business, concern that neighbors or customers will attach a negative label. What many do not realize is that this silence can make them more attractive targets, drawing the attention of criminals.

If even a case this serious fails to trigger the attention the community and police should give it, things may look calm on the surface while the conditions for crime quietly grow. Police have less incentive to increase patrols and enforcement. Suspects may come to believe the neighborhood is still “easy,” and similar crimes follow. The cycle continues.

Chinese-owned businesses need to shift their thinking. After being harmed, they should bravely speak up for their rights, rather than staying silent out of fear of exposure or inconvenience. Only then can the community break the cycle, so silence does not enable crime, and so a safer environment can be ensured for everyone.

If you have information about the suspects, you can report it anonymously to NYPD Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).