A 44-year-old Bronx man accused of pulling a knife on a fellow train rider and stealing $800, an ID, and a hat eluded a multi-agency manhunt across the East End for a month before authorities caught up with him. Andre Mantuck now faces first-degree robbery and weapon possession charges that could send him to prison for up to 25 years if he is convicted.
According to The East Hampton Star, the alleged robbery unfolded on a train in East Hampton after an unidentified Amagansett man stepped away to use the restroom. When he returned, Mantuck was allegedly sitting next to his belongings. The Star reports Mantuck brandished a knife in the victim’s face before making off with the cash, identification, and hat.
The victim tried to stop Mantuck from leaving as the train pulled into the East Hampton station, then attempted to follow him off the train, but was unsuccessful, per the Star’s account. He called 911 and reported the theft to East Hampton Village police. The station itself, built in 1895 on the LIRR Montauk Branch and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, sits about 0.3 miles from the center of East Hampton Village on Railroad Avenue, according to Wikipedia.
A Coordinated Search Comes Up Empty
Mantuck eluded authorities during the initial search, which the Star’s report described as a coordinated effort involving East Hampton Village police, East Hampton Town police, and a K-9 tracking team brought in from the neighboring Southampton Village Police Department. Village and town police also deployed drones during the hunt, the outlet’s report notes. Despite the manpower, Mantuck managed to slip away from the area surrounding the historic station…