MANHATTAN — Two boys were stabbed in a Hamilton Heights fast food restaurant last week during a broad daylight armed robbery — just steps from an elementary school building.
The mayhem unfolded inside Village Fried Chicken at 1739 Amsterdam Ave., near West 146th Street on Dec. 1.
Police said that one of the suspects, described as a man in his late 20s, walked into the eatery and approached the 17- and 12-year-old victims at 1:15 p.m.
A spokeswoman for the DOE said the younger victim was 15 and police could not immediately explain the discrepancy.
The suspect demanded the 17-year-old victim's coat and then whipped out a knife, sparking a fight.
During the struggle, the 17-year-old was stabbed in the hand and the younger boy was stabbed in the chest and stomach, police said.
Investigators said that a woman, whose age was not known, jumped into the fray, attacking the two victims as well.
The boys who were being attacked managed to break free and the suspects fled in an unknown direction.
The victims were taken to St. Luke's Hospital in stable condition.
P.S. 153 and the Hamilton Heights School, which share a building at 1750 Amsterdam Ave., are nearby the restaurant, but the DOE spokeswoman said that neither victim was a student there.
The spokeswoman added that the younger victim had been stabbed in the hand and that the 17-year-old victim suffered a "superficial wound to his chest."
She said that their parents were notified about the incident.
Police say the male suspect is 17- to 20-years-old, 5-foot-7 and 140 pounds last seen wearing a blue baseball cap, blue jeans and a black leather jacket with silver rhinestones.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), log onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or text 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
