UPDATE: Tuesday, October 20, at 5 p.m.: Police released photos on Tuesday afternoon of the three men wanted in connection to the attack and robbery in Central Park on Sunday night.
The photos are grainy and the men are wearing face coverings.
By Gus Saltonstall
A woman was attacked and robbed in Central Park on Sunday night, a police spokesperson told West Side Rag.
A 32-year-old woman was walking around 9:45 p.m. along East Drive near 90th Street, when three men approached her and hit her in the head multiple times, NYPD said. The trio then grabbed her backpack and fled the park toward Fifth Avenue, NYPD added.
The New York Post identified the victim as Katherine Marroquin, who was biking home from her job as a maintenance worker. She had stopped to pick up AirPods that she had dropped, when the three men ambushed her, the Post reported.
Marroquin used a metal water bottle to fight off the muggers, the paper added.
“I am thankful that I am OK,” Marroquin told the Post. “I just wanted to get home because my mom was worried, everybody was worried.”
The woman refused medical attention at the scene, police said.
There are no arrests, and the investigation remains ongoing, NYPD said.
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NYC life 101: Stay out of parks after dark unless you have a large dog.
Large dog is no guarantee, so the wise move – if you must be out after dark (when dogs must still be walked) – is to keep eyes and ears open, ie no headphones.
I pay taxes to use the park. New Yorkers should not be handing over one of its historic jewels to thieves and criminals. Make better use of your criticism than to blame the victim.
Paying taxes doesn’t also mean you get to gatekeep who uses the park.
Did you mean “who commits crime in the park”?
There are UWS residents that would love to restrict who accesses the park if they could get away with it.
??? it’s ok for thieves and criminals to “use the park”?
Thanks not the point at all and you know it. STOP blaming victims and USE the park. The MORE people in it, the less likely muggers will flourish.
Yo Don’t blame the victim
Maybe he’s referring to the perps?
Based on recent stories in the Rag’s Crime section, here are some other places and times to avoid unless you have a large dog:
109th between Riverside and Broadway at 1:30pm
69th and CPW at 7:40pm
71st and CPW at 8:45am
66th and Riverside Boulevard at 3:50pm
70th and West End at 11:20pm
84th and CPW at 2:30pm
Yeah avoid broadway at 2pm because why not. You can also add times square as they killed a woman there not much time ago
Point taken.
Hahaaha! Avoid those specific times and you’ll be FINE ! Yeah!
I was attacked in Riverside Park in 2019 while walking a 55 lb. pit bull (not hurt, not robbed) so unfortunately when dealing with people mentally ill or on drugs, the large dog is not a deterrent.
oy
…or are armed. That’s where we are now.
Exactly .. Dont’ let people out at night and in the park attack you for f’s sake!!
DAH!!
Adding guns will only make a situation worse for all involved.
It will make the situation worse for the criminals, yeah.
Didnt an armed bystander stop the school shooter in Oregon?
Ya and what about the 500+ other school shootings this year? Majority were in pro-gun states
Fun fact: New Hampshire has the lowest homicide rate of any state. If you average the rankings over the last 5 years, New Hampshire is still #1. New Hampshire has zero gun control. Zero. Try again.
How about the demographics there? Care to break it down?
You’re omparing Apples and Granite.
You have to go a long way to murder someone in NH, so you might change your mind getting there.
NH’s suicide rates are TWICE that of NY. Because it’s more “difficult” to get a gun in NYC. NY is ranked 49 out of 50 states for suicides. 60% of all gun fatalities in the U.S. are from suicides, not murders/or mass shootings.
He stopped the shooter AFTER people were dead and wounded. He didn’t stop the SHOOTING.
Fewer guns mean fewer shootings.
Except for the criminals, they always manage to get guns
That’s an anecdote
No, it really happened. Anything that really happened, actually happened.
An anecdote is just a short account of something. It can be perfectly accurate.
What’s your point?
Central Park used to be much more dangerous. I’m a lifelong New Yorker who would never at any time in the past have gone into the park after dark unless there was a scheduled event, certainly not alone or even in a pair. I’m always a little shocked that people do, which is not to blame the victims or excuse criminals.
Yeah me too – after dark I avoid the park no matter what. Giuliani is mayor? Avoid the park after dark. Bloomberg is mayor? Avoid the park after dark? Safest city in world history? Avoid the park after dark.
I cant imagine EVER going to the park after dark!!!! ‘Are you mad’!
Come on folks .. I thought we were all television binge watchers these days!!
Who in their most dominished or drunk state of mind ever would do that!!!
Tourists? No ! Only the homeless I believe!
That’s not the purpose of the park. It’s not there to be a safe haven for crime. It exists for people to enjoy.
For the love of god, can we please stop comparing today’s situation to the 70s or 80s!
It was much much safer only a few years ago!
Whats wrong with comparisons?
The comparison is there so that we remember NOT to let them take the park back again. And yes, I said them – the punks.
Central Park conservancy should hire private security to roam the park at night.
HOW ABOUT POLICE?!?
NYPD circles the park all night. I wouldn’t wander off on quiet paths at night but the park drive is full of people all evening. When I was young (1970s) we never went into the ppark at night except for performances, but now it’s lovely.
I don’t go to Riverside Park at night, though – there’s not enough exits, and too many places where the only excape is into the water.
NYPD has ZERO responsibility to intervene in crime. “Under U.S. Supreme Court precedent, the Constitution generally does not require police to protect an individual from harm inflicted by a private person, even when police know about the danger.”
NYPD has no responsibility to intervene in crimes if they don’t think you are worth helping
Maybe one car if we’re lucky
Yeah, let’s cherry pick history to fit your narrative!
Here we go… another story to get the Anxious Annies all worked up.
Haha! I cant imagine any Anxious A’s going near the damn Park! .. Especially after dark with their dogs or not! I haven’t been there forever! All those speeding damn cars flying around!
No thanks!
“Anxious Annies?” That’s a sexist comment. How about worrying that you also don’t become a victim of crime. It’s an equal opportunity offender.
ha ha
Ok, Ok Nervous Nellie. Covers all bases and then some.
Yes, and crime is down..”.it’s just a perception”, as once said by an elected official.
Not cool. Robberies damage the civic fabric.
Just a singular, isolated, anecdotal little incident to add to the other90,000 YTD, right, dear brave keyboard warrior? Switch places with the victim and show us how it’s done.
Correct nothing to see here.
Having armed guards at grocery stores is perfectly normal.
Crime rates are among the lowest ever recorded in Manhattan. I know articles like this don’t help that perception and it also doesn’t help that people never actually look at crime rates over the long term. They just react to articles like this that predictably drive lots of views and engagement. But hey, the less you go into the park, the less crowded it is for the rest of us to enjoy. By all means, stay home!
That’s just it – the park isn’t crowded at 9:45 pm. It’s dark and basically empty and not where you want to be. But I’m sure you’re there at that time hanging out right tough guy?
Here we go. Stats again.
How tone deaf!
There were other robberies on the east side of the park committed by three guys. Same ones?
Yes, very similar MO. Instead of victim blaming, how about we do some criminal catching?
No wouldn’t want to derail the careers of these doctors and engineers.
We don’t want other “disproportionate” statistic that we will need to cover up for.
A lot of mayhem on the east side lately. Plus Legionnaires that’s why I don’t go there.
I would never walk alone in Central Park after dark!! It’s too risky in my opinion.
When will people learn not to walk in the park at night, especially alone?
Even if you’re a man, even if you’re riding a bike.
Probably because the park is not supposed to be crime ridden. I cannot tell you how many national campgrounds I’ve slept in during my lifetime. Not that I want anyone to sleep in Central Park, because it’s not built for camping, but handing a park to criminals during the night or during the day is just unacceptable. How about we lock criminals up and throw away the keys. That will make the parks safe again. I say three violent crimes and you’re out of the game for good.
That would be nice. But it’s never going to happen so we have to deal with reality.
How about one violent crime? Too harsh?
Well, you have to be sure you have the right people.
Why is this considered acceptable in the’ greatest city in the world’ ? We don’t have to live like this.
I love NYC, but the greatest city on earth is a little exaggerated! Our subways are filthy and the city is full of ugly scaffolding! Those things are not great!
People learned that they could in between around 2000 and 2019, when our city was safe.
When will government make parks safe again
i am in the park every night at 4 am and the scariest things are the coyotes.
what are you afraid of?
Park is closed at 4 am so you’re not supposed to be there. And this happened at 9:45 pm not 4 am.
You.
Are you the mugger?
I’m very sorry for this woman. That must have been a horrifying experience. That being said, I don’t understand why a person would enter a poorly lit, sparsely populated area with innumerable hiding places after dark unless they absolutely had to. Perhaps she had to. I don’t know her story. But for those of us who do have a choice, don’t do that. It’s reckless. Things could go badly.
Here is a sample of recent violent crime times and locations from the Rag’s Crime section. I think people should also avoid CPW during daylight hours. Or maybe we could prosecute criminals.
109th between Riverside and Broadway at 1:30pm
69th and CPW at 7:40pm
71st and CPW at 8:45am
66th and Riverside Boulevard at 3:50pm
70th and West End at 11:20pm
84th and CPW at 2:30pm
If it’s not safe they should close the park at night. Pretending its perfectly fine and then acting like “oh why was she there” when things do happen is just stupid.
I agree and I’m glad we can finally post things in this theme with less “stop the victim blaming!” in the comments. That the parks are less safe at night is perhaps just pattern recognition, not victim blaming
Vote better and be able to walk in the park at night.
Lol. That’s rational.
Can’t know if you really believe that, but it’s beyond absurd if you actually do.
Vote better? I’m over 70 years old and there has never been a time in my life when it was safe to walk alone in the park after dark.
See response to S.A.
Definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
Central Park Precinct crime is up 30% this year for the stat watchers. The 24 is up 10%. The 20th Precinct is about flat, but with a worrying 68% increase in felony assaults.
Robberies in Central Park have more than doubled this year, with 19 muggings compared to only eight during the same period last year, according to NYPD stats current as of Oct. 11.
As per nydailynews
NYC and NYS politicians are not doing enough for public safety. Vote differently.
Last year after a publicized crime there were police officers along paths in the park at night. That lasted two or three days.
Performative policing! Tisch has certainly improved NYPD culture and seems like she has gone after the worst of the rot that had festered under the corrupt Adams administration, but many officers simply refuse to do the basics of the job. I frequently see NYPD officers (especially the traffic enforcement officers) playing games on their phones. Hardly seems like we are getting the best value out of the billions we spend on the NYPD.
We(2 people) were walking on the East Drive after dark on Saturday night from the Met south bound to 59th (The Plaza Hotel is closing for 4 years!).
With a whole NYPD police precinct for our Central Park. I didn’t notice any police presence at all.
The Krasner/ Pollock show was very good. Go see it.
I would have walked on 5th Ave instead.
Thanks for the Krasner/Pollock tip–I’d had it on my radar but forgot about it!
Well, “J.L.” I’m glad life is dandy for you. It must be nice to live a carefree life of culture.
Thanks WS Grandmother. life is indeed dandy. We are here on this beautiful planet for a brief few years, I hope you are mobile and well.
We live in one of the top five cities of the world. If you’re within walking distance to the world’s best known urban park, then you have easy access to The Met (x2) and Lincoln Center. All world class institutions.
Lincoln Center (was packed on Saturday night) is making events more affordable and most of NYC’s museums have free days or just free for NY’ers.
I hope you can take advantage of the city’s offerings. New York without the arts and artists is just another really crowded place.
We used to see police in Central Park all the time. Has anyone seen a police officer in Central Park recently?
https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2026/10/20/the-central-park-precinct-is-new-yorks-strangest
Hot off the press.
Park police circle the drive all night. They pass around every 5 minutes if you’re walking on the drive.
We didn’t see any patrols on Saturday night on our leisurely 20 (?) minutes walk south . No signs of vehicles including the 72nd street transverse. A few delivery workers using the park drive. Some raccoons crossings near the zoo.
Let the victim blaming begin. Don’t forget throw in some statistics and praise to the mayor.
We are seriously going ot keep pretending we don’t know why it is happening?!
Do you know why this is happening? Please do tell!
Do tell us why, Flo. Some of us don’t have your secret information.
Here’s a hint: it’s not poverty. I’ll let you figure out the rest yourself.
This is from the NY Daily News: Robberies in Central Park have more than doubled this year, with 19 muggings compared to only eight during the same period last year, according to NYPD stats current as of Oct. 11.
Meanwhile, there’s a 12% reduction in robberies citywide this year, with only 10,492 incidents compared to the 11,947 robberies across the five boroughs in 2025.
Imagine that ONLY 10,492 robberies citywide this year. Not sure I would have used the word ONLY.
Just like the old days…
A lot more details in the NY Post today…
https://nypost.com/2026/10/19/us-news/masked-trio-robs-female-cyclist-who-fights-back-with-metal-water-bottle-in-unprovoked-central-park-violence/
Anyone consider how much the giant increase in costs of everything might contribute to increased crime?
Have you considered that certain groups of people have lower IQs and undeveloped prefrontal cortices which predispose them to violent crime?
does park now need real gates, each with one guard,? esp/ nights , early mornings?
I do believe police patrols are necessary in the park after dark.
Don’t waste the police manpower in a mostly empty and vast Central Park.
Rather put the police on the city streets and on the subways.
For example I find most Upper West Side streets are desolate after dark and seeing a police officer here and there would be a welcome sight.
We need another 10K cops. Vote Republican.
They are already there.
Vote Saritha NYS AG if you actually want criminals prosecuted vs. catch & release.
Same people who are outraged at lawlessness voted for Bragg. Twice.
In the 1970s, my younger brother was always given “mugging money” after a friend of his was mugged, had no money, and the muggers stole his BRACES (the ones in his mouth). How insane is that?!
How did they steal braces out his mouth?
Poetic license I assume.
Yeah, that’s the important detail.
Anyone else feel like the facts are “off” with this story? Especially the account in the NY Post? One example: I can’t think of a single person familar with Central Park who would refer to The Reservoir as “The Lake”. Not to mention, you’d need to have the arm of a professional baseball player to make it to the water from East Drive, even then would be difficult given the tree coverage. I am not saying something didn’t happen, just that it seems light on demonstrable facts and the details don’t add up.
I don’t think being this that important to the victims. And to the best of us.
FWIW, I bike early in the morning in Central Park and versus two or three months ago, NYPD presence lately has been almost nonexistent. I suspect that had personnel have been pulled from the Central Park Precinct and been redistributed elsewhere.
That’s an everywhere 101 thing. Parks after dark are ambush havens. Not victim blaming, it’s not her fault. But this is a well-known life reality of humans. Glad she’s ok.
I think the particularly awful thing is that she felt her subway line home was too dangerous at that hour. Rock/hard place.
I wish that the woman would have accepted medical help. If she was hit on the head (especially more than once) she could have serious reaction after the fact. I hope this is not the case but head injuries should be taken seriously
They’re useless to society and man-kind!
Once captured, they deserve life in prison. Again, useless to society.
I long to live in a high trust society
Then get out of your device and say hi to people.
I guarantee all three have long rap sheets and have been arrested and released many times already.
The victim herself says in the post article that the city needs to stop doing that.
When will NYC go back to paying more attention to the rights of victims than of criminals?
When NYC stops voting for Democrats or in other words – never.