SUNNYSIDE — One teen was indicted and another — arrested earlier this year for robbing an armless man — was charged for a string of knifepoint muggings in and around Clove Lakes Park, a law enforcement source said.
Samuel Russell, 18, and Franchesca Rivera, 16, were arrested for allegedly robbing several people with a knife in the park and the surrounding neighborhood for their cash and possessions, prosecutors said.
Between July 27 and Aug. 1, the pair were involved in at least four robberies and attempted robberies inside Clove Lakes Park at Greenleaf and Post avenues, Clove Road and Forest Avenue, and other spots around Sunnyside and West Brighton, prosecutors said.
In each of the instances, Rivera and Russell — either working together or separately — would approach the suspect with a knife and demand property from them, sometimes failing to get anything in the muggings, prosecutors said.
During their spree, the suspects took cash, cellphones and keys from their victims. No injuries were reported in any of the muggings, prosecutors said.
Russell was hit with a 10-count arraignment Friday and charged with robbery and attempted robbery, the Staten Island District Attorney's office said.
His bail was set at $100,000 and he's due back in court on Sept. 15, the DA said.
Russell's lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rivera was charged with robbery and grand larceny at her Tuesday arraignment and her bail was set at $25,000, the DA said.
She was previously arrested after she was part of a group who assaulted and stole a cellphone from an armless man in November outside a Port Richmond shopping center, the source said.
The group approached the 18-year-old victim, who was born without arms, snatched his cellphone then pushed him around and searched his pockets, the New York Daily News reported.
One of her accomplices, Vincent Popalardo, 20, was arrested in January and charged with a hate crime for the attack, prosecutors said.
Rivera's case was handled by Family Court and she was given probation for the crime, the source said.
Contact information for her lawyer was not immediately available.