Riverside Park around West 70th street is usually a peaceful area.
Police have increased patrols of Riverside Park since two men were discovered having been attacked by a gang of four men marauding through the park late last Thursday.
The violence, first reported by West Side Rag, has since been covered by all the NYC television networks and the Post. Four men are wanted for throwing one man over the railing in the park into the Hudson River and beating another man after covering his head with a bag (police think it’s the same perpetrators in both attacks).
According to the Post, the first man was attacked around 10 p.m. by the four men — the victim was a 58-year-old homeless man, and he refused to give up his bag to the assailants.
“This is my bench” one of the men told the homeless man, according to A Walk in the Park.
They picked him up and threw him over the railing into the river. The Post says the attack occurred around 66th street, but other outlets are reporting it was at 73rd, which makes more sense given that the witness we talked to found him at 72nd street. The man was in the water all night and was found the next morning by a woman walking her dog.
The second victim was a 21-year-old man walking home from John Jay College around 11 p.m., according to CBS News. The four perpetrators accosted him around 68th street, threw a bag over his head and hit him with an object, which police suspect was a rock, according to the Post. They stole his wallet and phone (police had also told us they stole his laptop).
Jessica Rieske was walking her dogs when she saw him, she told CBS.
“He was bleeding a lot from his head. He had been beaten pretty badly. The whole left side of his face was swollen,” she said. “It was scary, and I just felt terrible for him. He was all alone and young and really scared.”
Both men were taken to the hospital, the Post reported.
“Cops were notified around midnight, and took the younger victim to Cornell Hospital where he was treated for injuries to his face and lacerations to his head, cops said.
Meanwhile, the first victim lay helpless on the riverbank overnight until he was spotted around 7 a.m. by a dog walker, who called police.
He was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital and treated for a broken leg, cops said.”
Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal’s office told us that NYPD has stepped up patrols in the park, with both uniformed and plainclothes officers. Rosenthal’s office also said police don’t suspect that the perpetrators were from the neighborhood, but we haven’t been able to confirm that with NYPD.
Riverside Park is generally considered to be safe, but residents have pointed out before that it seems lightly patrolled by police. Last year, another horrific crime occurred in the park in broad daylight when a homeless man went on a stabbing rampage, injuring several people.
Does anyone know if the man from John Jay College was attacked in the park around 68th or walking down the street?
Wait, but didn’t they kicked all the dirty homeless out of the Upper West Side? How can there still be crime? Do I still have to be asked for change on the way to 72nd street? Oh no! Did we paint that graffiti yet? Quality of life ya know.
Laugh all you want but there are now 200 less homeless people wandering around my neighborhood (93rd/WEA), and I’m very happy about that.
Glad life’s working out for you–’cause how you’re doing is all that matters.
Sam, myself, our families, and our neighbors will all be doing even better once the shelter closes for good. But don’t worry Erick, there are still plenty of shelters housing homeless people, drug addicts, and folks with behavioral disorders in the West ’90’s to keep you happy too.
I’m glad you agree, the safety of my family comes before anything else in this world Erick.
Duuh…These attacks were apparently perpetrated ON the homeless, not BY the homeless.
These perps must be real geniuses if they mugged a homeless man.
I’m paying enough rent on RSB to not have to put up with these crapsters. And no, I have no compassion for people who attack innocent people. Execution would be cheaper than imprisonment, but I understand that is not available, so life will have to do. Throwing the guy in the river could go down as attempted murder — 25 years. Second victim, assault and robbery first degree — separate victim, consecutive sentence.
Agree with Roger Lodger.
Life behind bars for the attack on the homeless. Attempted murder.
We have murder 1 on the books, but no one was put to death under it. Too bad. Remember the maggot who murdered 4 people in a drug store to get some free oxi? – got life. How about putting some teeth into the law, but I forgot – Comrade Mayor di Blassio will not allow it.
The UWS is the most expensive lousy controlled hood in the USA. Help!
Move back to Olympus sunshine.
Robert Goodman,
What can I say? You are a funny man.
Not just funny looking (which you certainly are) but funny, you know, like a clown.
Why don’t you just crawl back from under the rock you came from.
Knowing the Manhattan DA, he’ll give them a summons for careless strolling.
At first I wondered why Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal was interested in this since there did not, at first blush, appear to be any transportation issues involved.
But then I read that “Rosenthal’s office also said police don’t suspect that the perpetrators were from the neighborhood”.
I therefore assume that Ms Rosenthal will shortly introduce legislation prohibiting the transportation of perpetrators from one neighborhood to another.
Phew! Our safety protected yet again!
I took a mid-day walk through Riverside Park South yesterday (Tuesday) from 72nd down to 59th and back. I saw no police presence. Maybe they were plainclothes but there really weren’t too many people around at all.
Sounds kind of like Central Park in the late 70’s and 80’s, no?
And of course there were no police there. The NYPD isn’t going to risk another $41 Million pay-out, with attendant venal publicity, if they’re present and have to stop someone they believe has committed an assault on someone in the park.
Maybe we should ask Ken Burns to provide a safety patrol in the empty park??
I know some pay a lot of rent to live in these neighborhoods and of course we all deserve to be safe walking down the street….BUT lets use some common sense. This is still NYC – use your senses, eyes, ears, and that inner voice that warns you Pay attention to your surroundings and not cell phones, I-pads, etc….A lot of people on Main St. are poor, unemployed, uneducated, frustrated and will resort to crime & violence to get what they need to survive. Does that excuse them…absolutely NOT and they should be caught & prosecuted. But pay attention when walking alone in a dark, deserted neighborhood, walking in or near a park after dark…don’t do it, even in the best neighborhoods. Use your common sense. Learn how to be a New Yorker…