By Ruth Bashinsky For Dailymail.Com

Published: 16:27 EST, 14 November 2022 | Updated: 17:42 EST, 14 November 2022

This is the horrifying moment two thugs on a moped drag a 12-year-old girl down a New York City sidewalk as they snatched her chain.

The pair, who have not been identified, snuck up on the youngster and grabbed her before trying to rip the jewelry from her neck.

They then tried to speed off while pulling the child along the pavement, sending her sprawling from side to side.

But her movements sent them off balance and the moped careened into a small tree before the violent thugs fell off.

NYPD cops said the vicious attack happened at 4.30pm on October 24 in Elmhurst, Queens.

It was the first of at least seven robberies that are linked to the same moped-driving thieves who have been terrorizing the borough over the last few weeks.  

The two thugs riding on a red scooter down a street in Elmhurst, Queens 

They approach the 12-year-old girl from behind as she was walking home alone from school 

The chain-snatching duo have struck multiple times and are still on the lam as the police try and track them down.     

On Monday, NYPD posted on Twitter: 'WANTED FOR ROBBERY PATTERN: Between 10/24/22 and 11/7/22, two unidentified males approached 7 separate victims in Queens, ranging in age from 12-years-old to 70-years-old, and snatched their necklaces from their necks before fleeing. Any info? DM@NYPDTips, or call 800-577-TIPS.'

On October 26, they attacked four different people all on the same day. 

In the first attack, a 37-year-old woman was punched in the face and her necklace was snatched from her neck around 2.20pm at 34th Avenue and 103rd Street in the  North Corona neighborhood.

Ten minutes later, a 43-year-old woman walking at 31st Avenue and 76th Street in Jackson Heights was shoved to the ground before the bandits grabbed two necklaces from her neck.

At 7pm the duo struck again, mugging a 52-year-old man walking at 75th Street and Woodside Avenue in the Elmhurst neighborhood. After the assault, both men fled.

In this graphic image the young girl is being dragged by the thugs as they pull the necklace from her neck 

The Twitter post the NYPD issued on Monday, November 14 

At 7.50pm, a 35-year-old woman had her necklace pulled off her neck at 73rd Street and 35th Avenue in Jackson Heights which would be the fourth robbery that day, MSN reported. 

The following day, the muggers hit the Elmhurst neighborhood again. This time they yanked a necklace off a 70-year-old woman's neck around 3pm in the area of  77th Street and 34th Avenue. 

Their most recent robbery was on November 7 at Penrod Street and Otis Avenue in the Corona neighborhood. A 48-year-old woman was walking around 12.45pm when the men stole her necklace and fled.

Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.

Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd

Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group