TRIBECA — A Financial District man was beaten by 12 people and had his wallet stolen on a 1 train in Lower Manhattan last weekend, police said.
The 29-year-old victim told DNAinfo New York that he boarded the southbound train at the Christopher Street stop at 1:30 a.m. on April 20, after a night out with some friends. At the same time, a group of about 12 young men also got on the train, police said.
"Right away these guys started bothering a homeless woman, poking her with a chain one of them had," said the victim, who is a lawyer. "Then, all of a sudden, one of them reached for my wallet in my back pocket while I was standing. I turned around and they all just started punching me."
The man told police that the attackers hit him all over his body with closed fists. The group then fled the train at the Franklin Street stop.
The victim got off the train at the next stop, Chambers Street, and quickly found the police, the NYPD said.
"I couldn't believe it — I was mostly shocked when they started punching at me," the man said. "Nothing like this has ever happened to me before."
He was left with a bloody nose, along with scratches, swelling and bruises on his head and face, police said.
"I'm doing OK — I've lived in New York my whole life, I get that sometimes things just happen," added the man, who grew up on Staten Island.
Police arrested five of the suspects: Robert Rainey, 20; Tyquan Goggins, 23; Corey Barber, 18; Devonte Young, 21; and Samuel Malik, 24, the NYPD said. They were charged with second degree robbery, police said.
Calls to the men's lawyers were not immediately returned.
Police were still searching for the other alleged attackers as of Wednesday.
Other recent crimes in the 1st Precinct include:
► A man was robbed by knife-wielding thieves while walking near 11 Cliff St. at 8:30 p.m. on April 16, police said. The victim told police that three men quickly approached him from behind, then said, “Give me your money.” Two of the men took out small knives. The man gave them all the cash he had — $160 — then the three men fled down the street, police said.
► A man stole $3,000 from Capital One bank on April 19 at 1:30 p.m., police said. The robber passed a note to a teller at the 90 West Broadway bank that said: “I have a f---ing gun give me $3,000." The teller than handed over the cash to the man, who fled.
► A man was arrested for stealing two Vera Wang dresses from the designer’s eponymous shop at 158 Mercer St. on April 16 at 11:15 a.m. Police arrested Hiram Martinez, 36, across the street from the shop as he tried to flee with the dresses, the NYPD said. Martinez was charged with grand larceny, according to his criminal complaint. A call to his attorney was not immediately returned.
► Three men stole a $4,250 jacket from upscale boutique Balenciaga on April 21 at about 2:30 p.m., police said. One man distracted a salesperson as another grabbed the leather jacket and stuffed it into the third man's backpack. The men then walked out of the 149 Mercer St. store. The theft was discovered after they walked out, police said.
► A man had his bag — which contained a $1,500 Dell laptop, an iPad Air, as well as $700 Oliver Peoples sunglasses — stolen while he ate at 65 West Broadway restaurant Saleya on April 17, police said. The man said that he placed his bag on the floor while he ate, and when he got up to leave, at about 8:30 p.m, the bag was missing.
► A woman stole two jackets worth a total of $4,385 from boutique Just Cavalli on April 20 at about 3:25 p.m., police said. The woman went into the dressing room with a 3,390 jacket and $995 coat, both by Made in Italy. She then left the 434 West Broadway shop with the jackets.
