UPPER EAST SIDE — Police say teens have robbed or attempted to rob people in and around Central Park five times since September.
The first incident happened on Sept. 16 when one of the suspects approached an 86-year-old man as he was walked past the park's entrance at 76th Street and East Drive a little after 12:30 a.m., according to police.
The suspect grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt, threw him down on the ground, and snatched his wallet that had about $20 and credit cards inside. The victim had a contusion on his right check bone, but refused medical attention, police said.
The next month, on Oct. 7 at about 3:10 p.m., police say the teens attempted to swipe an iPhone 6 from a 60-year-old pedicab driver. Later the same day at about 11:20 p.m., the group punched a 21-year-old man in the back of the head while he was walking inside the park at 69th Street toward Fifth Ave. The boys then kicked the victim while he was on the ground, and fled with his Samsung Galaxy phone and Nexus tablet, according to police.
Three days later, on Oct. 10, the teens struck again — this time trying to grab a backpack off a man, 31, who was riding his bike on Fifth Avenue and East 102nd Street, police said. The teens also hit the man on the left side of the face causing minor pain, according to police.
A little after midnight on Oct. 11, police say the group again punched a man riding his bike. The 47-year-old man was riding a Citi Bike on East Drive at 95th Street when the teens demanded he get off the bike and also stole his iPhone 7, police say.
The teens range in age from 16 to 18, according to police.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
