Detective's tip on past criminal helps cops apprehend northern Queens serial mugger

BY Joe Kemp

Saturday, January 22nd 2011, 4:00 AM

Noonan for News

Northern Queens, including Astoria, was on edge over a serial mugger.

A malicious serial mugger wanted for terrorizing women in northern Queens for more than two weeks was collared Friday - after an eagle-eyed detective recognized his modus operandi, sources said.

Brian Rodriguez, 33, allegedly attacked 10 women since Jan. 2, most of them at night. The brazen bandit sneaked up on most of his victims - who ranged in age from 22 to 62 - before punching them, snatching their property and running away, police said.

A detective who arrested Rodriguez in 2005 for a similar string of robberies told officers working the case to check on the convicted thief, sources said.

Rodriguez was later fingered for the crimes and charged with multiple counts of second-degree robbery.