Police arrested a 16-year-old and charged him with robbery and possession of stolen property in connection with a beating and robbery near the Great Hill in Central Park on Tuesday. The victim was taking pictures when he was attacked, Gothamist reported.
Cops say the victim was taking photos on the Great Hill, one of the highest points in the park, near West 106th Street and West Drive at around 5:30 p.m. yesterday when three teenaged boys approached him from behind. One teen allegedly demanded the victim’s cellphone, and when he refused to yield it, the boys pushed him to the ground and punched him in the head and face, according to police.
The suspects then swiped the man’s cell phone and wallet before fleeing westbound on West 106th Street. The victim refused medical attention at the scene.
On Monday just after midnight, a Swedish tourist was also punched and robbed of his wallet near Hekscher playground around 65th Street. A 20-year-old was arrested in that case.
Sadly it seems that even day light hours are becoming no go times in the Park.
Really?
I am not aware of an increase in daylight crime in the Park, especially given the number of visitors.
What’s the matter with kids today?
Sad news. There were two muggings in (West Side) Central Park over the course of three days!
Although West Side Rag has not covered it, there have also been a wave of muggings on Columbus Avenue.
Wake up folks, and think about this as you go to vote for Bill de Blasio in November.
Ben David… Sorry to inform you BUT De Blasio has nothing to do with the muggings in Central Park or anywhere else on the Upper West Side. There have been muggings for quite a while! Decades even! So don’t put the blame on one person!
Christina,
Sorry to inform you that before de Blasio, lower level crimes were taken seriously. Talk to the police who were in the UWS precincts (as I do). Off the record, they will confirm that muggings are up (mostly with knives and other threatened weapons) and that “minor” crimes, such as kids stealing from stores and harassing street vendors, are no longer reported in crime stats. It’s not JUST de Blasio, it’s the era of city council members who decriminalize “minor” crimes. Have a great weekend.
Thank you for clarifying, Ben. A lot of people like to pretend nothing’s wrong while things fall apart and we end up with the seventies again.
Holy hyperbole Batman!
Christine,
Sorry but I must disagree. A number of these muggers have been described as extremely tall. The clear implication is that de Blasio is directly responsible. OMG!! He is the mugger and the mayor?!?!?
It is all but decided he will be our mayor in the next election. Could NYC do a lot better? Yes. We won’t but it won’t be catastrophic. Just get used to more rats, less snow plows and more derailments.
You have a point, Ben David.
Before de Blasio there was no crime.
It’s so tedious, isn’t it, OriginalMark?
Such a shame that de Blasio is going to win easily in November. If de Blasio lost, crime in New York City would completely disappear! There would be NONE. Forever. 🙂
Bob – so true!
It’s always amazing that we have such low-information voters here. We like to think of the UWS as a place full of highly educated thinker-types. But then we see the nonsensical, moronic de Blasio/crime memes that defy logic and facts.
I wish we had an alternative to de Blasio. I really don’t like him. But my dislike for him doesn’t lead me to irrational conclusions.
What specific de Blasio policies are you referring to?
Doesn’t matter age. The punishment should be severe enough that they think long and hard before doing this again. Basically, they get a slap on the wrist and are out pulling the same crap again!
So glad the NYPD arrested these thugs. There has been an explosion of teenage boys roaming Central Park at all hours of the day, I’ve never seen it like this.
Is the park not patrolled at night? understand the police can not be at every location, but at least make their presence known.
Unfortunately the mayor and the city council helped create a new atmosphere of lawlessness here in New York. They dismantled the broken windows theory, decriminalized lesser crimes, and demoralized their own police department. How could they not see that the result would be criminals behaving more brazenly and with more impunity? Hopefully they’ll come to their senses before it gets even worse.
Actually, there seems to be research showing that broken windows had no causative effect on the decline in crime, or at least no provable causative effect. It has a great effect on the feeling that people have about the degree of disorder in their communities, which makes people feel safer, but may or may not actually reduce crimes.
For myself, some “broken windows” offenses – like turnstile jumping – seem worth pursuing for their own sake. But we have to be careful about ascribing other functions to that theory. I have heard a report about the person who originally proposed it who now disclaims it and wishes he had never published his paper on the topic.
The cops demoralized themselves when they murdered Eric Garner in broad daylight
But Mary the entire police department did not kill Eric Garner. And at any rate the mayor campaigned on an anti-cop platform that demoralized the NYPD the day he took office, which was before Eric Garner was killed.
If I were Superman, I would fly them up to 2,000 feet, scold them really well, then drop them, catch them at 30 ft, and keep doing it until they passed out.
It must be nice to know that your robbery victim is unarmed.
It must be nice to know that you don’t have to worry about being shot by one of a battalion of self-appointed vigilantes.