The Watch King jewelry influencer tased and robbed of 560K in NYC ambush: ‘I’m scared to leave my house now’
A popular jewelry influencer known as “The Watch King” was zapped with a Taser and robbed of more than half a million dollars in jewelry during ambush outside his home in Queens, New York — and now he says he’s scared to leave his house.
Moshe Haimoff, 39, who has over two million followers on social media, believes the robbery by the masked men last Wednesday was no random hit.
“I’m scared to leave my house now,” he told The New York Post. “It’s my home, it’s where I feel the safest, but I can’t because now they know where I live.”
Surveillance video released by the NYPD shows Haimoff being approached around 10 a.m. by a masked man in a construction worker’s vest.
The man shoved him to the ground, then was joined by an accomplice wearing a similar vest. They tore off Haimoff’s watch, chain, and three bracelets before fleeing in a silver Mercedes-Benz SUV with a waiting getaway driver, police said.
“I’m sure I was targeted, I’m sure I was set up,” he said. “My neighbor left the house two minutes, three minutes before me, nobody touched him.”
He added that he’s especially relieved his 13-year-old son wasn’t with him at the time.
“Luckily I didn’t take my son to work that day,” he said. “Usually my son comes to work with me in the summertime and I didn’t take him that day.”
Haimoff said one of the robbers used a stun gun on his right leg, causing it to give out as he tried to flee back toward his house, where a surveillance camera recorded the attack.
The thieves initially took another necklace but tossed it back after spotting his “WK” logo on it.
“That they threw at me and said we can’t use this,” he recalled. “So they left it.”
The NYPD said the total value of the stolen jewelry was approximately $559,000. Haimoff said his watch alone was worth around $400,000.
Haimoff was treated for cuts and bruises to his wrist and neck at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens Hospital, but said he said he’s left always looking over his shoulder.
Since the attack, he’s hired 24/7 security and checks his surroundings constantly when walking to his car.
“Thank God I’m alive,” he said. “That’s all that matters.”
No arrests had been made as of Monday. The NYPD has released images of the suspects and the getaway vehicle.
