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Parks Workers Stole Man's Backpack and Hid It in Garbage Can, Police Say

 Two Parks Department staffers were busted for stealing a backpack from a man and dropping it into a garbage pail, police said.
Two Parks Department staffers were busted for stealing a backpack from a man and dropping it into a garbage pail, police said.
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Facebook/Union Square Partnership

UNION SQUARE — A pair of Parks Department employees worked together to steal a backpack from a man who was attacked inside of Union Square Park last week, the NYPD said.

The victim was punched in the face by a stranger inside the park near East 17th Street at 9:30 p.m. July 16 — and then parks workers Lydia Brito, 52, and Arabian Breland, 26, swooped in and grabbed his backpack, which the man had set on the ground, police said. The women dropped the bag in their garbage can to conceal it, police said.

When officers confronted the pair inside a Parks Department office, Brito and Breland denied finding a backpack in the park. But after investigating further, police found them with the bag, which contained a cellphone, police said.

Brito and Breland, who are seasonal employees of the Parks Department, were charged with possession of stolen property, police said. They were given desk appearance tickets and are due in court Aug. 26. 

"They are currently still employed with NYC Parks, pending the resolution of their case or further information regarding the incident," Parks spokesman Philip Abramson said.

Information regarding Brito and Breland's lawyers was not immediately available.

The assailant who initially punched the victim had not been caught as of Tuesday, police said.

Other notable crimes that happened recently in the 13th Precinct include:

► A woman was arrested for trying to rob another woman near Madison Square Park, police said.

Jessica Darling, 48, approached the victim at Madison Avenue and East 26th Street and demanded money, police said.

When the victim refused, Darling threatened her by gesturing to her own waistband as though she had a weapon, police said.

Darling was charged with attempted robbery, according to online court records. Her attorney declined to comment.