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Police Looking for Teen Robbing Students with Violent Threats

By Allegra Hobbs | November 23, 2016 3:58pm | Updated on November 24, 2016 3:05pm
 Police say the suspect has robbed at least three teens near neighborhood schools since Nov. 14.
Police say the suspect has robbed at least three teens near neighborhood schools since Nov. 14.
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NYPD

LOWER EAST SIDE — Police are looking for a teenage boy they say has been robbing other teens with threats of violence near several neighborhood high schools.

Authorities say they have connected the suspect, a boy aged 16 or 17 years old who is 5-foot-10, to three reported robberies between Nov. 14 and 17.

He may be linked to a fourth incident that occurred on Nov. 22.

On Nov. 14 at around 8:40 a.m., a 14-year-old male student was walking on Essex Street near Grand Street while on his way to the New Design High School when the suspect approached and asked him for money, police said.

When the victim told the suspect he didn’t have any money, the suspect stated that he had a knife and would stab him if he didn’t hand over his cash, according to a police report.

The victim, fearful for his life, handed over $6 in cash and the suspect fled down Essex Street then eastbound on Grand Street, authorities said. 

Then, on Nov. 16 at around 2:45 p.m., a 13-year-old boy who attends the University Neighborhood High School was walking on Madison Street towards Jefferson Street when the suspect approached him from behind and said “Yo, yo do you have change of five dollars?” according to a police report.

When the victim opened his wallet to see if he had any change, the suspect reached into it and snatched $6 in cash, then told the victim to follow him to the store, according to authorities.

The victim then asked for his money back, and the suspect said “I have a knife and I don’t want to stab you,” according to a police report. The suspect then fled north on Jefferson Street.

The next day, Nov. 17 at around 12:35 p.m., a 15-year-old boy was walking home from the Essex Street Academy when the suspect approached him at the corner of Broom and Norfolk streets and asked for cash, police said.

The victim told the suspect he didn’t have any cash, at which point the suspect said “I will shoot you in the head” and grabbed $10 from the victim’s book bag, according to authorities. 

Police said they are investigating a fourth incident that occurred on Nov. 22 at around 3:07 p.m., when a suspect of a similar description took $80 in cash from a 15-year-old male victim at the corner of Essex and Grand streets, stating “My friend is strapped.” 

However, authorities have not yet determined whether the suspect in the most recent incident is the same suspect who carried out the previous robberies. 

Representatives of the New Design High School and the University Neighborhood High School declined to comment. A representative of Essex Street Academy did not immediately return a request for comment.