MANHATTAN — A man has been charged with robbing two teenage girls of their iPhones at knifepoint inside Central Park, DNAinfo New York has learned.
Mekhi Ortiz, 18, approached the 15-year-old girls who were near the northeast corner of East 106th Street and East Drive around 5:55 p.m. on Sept. 19, according to the Manhattan District Attorney.
Ortiz whipped out his knife and told one teen to "Run your pockets" before quickly ordering her to take off her backpack, which he then rummaged until he found her iPhone, prosecutors charge.
He then waved the knife at the other teen and demanded to know, "Where's your money? I know you have money," according to court documents.
Instead of giving her a chance to answer, he grabbed her backpack from her shoulder, rifled through it and found her cellphone.
Records show an NYPD officer from the Central Park Precinct spotted the robbery in progress and arrested Ortiz.
He was charged with felony robbery and criminal possession of a weapon, according to court records.
He had also been charged with possession of marijuana. He is being held on Rikers Island on $20,000 bond and is due in court on Oct. 12.
He has nine prior arrests, according to sources.
