Woman violently robbed in Central Park by trio of teens

NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – The NYPD released suspect images Thursday in yet another robbery in Central Park as police continue to combat a spike in muggings there this summer.

The suspects being sought are three males between the ages of 14 and 17 years old, police said.

Investigators believe they’re the trio who violently robbed a 27-year-old woman around 11:45 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 11.

She was in the area of West Drive and the 97th Street Transverse when they grabbed her arm and demanded her property, police said.

They took her phone and purse before fleeing the scene, according to police, who said they later used her credit card.

She suffered minor injuries, including bruising to her arm, but didn’t require hospitalization, police said.

There was another theft in the same area earlier that day, according to another police report. In that incident, a 37-year-old woman had her bag stolen around 8:15 a.m. by four teen suspects who then used her credit and debit cards to make purchases over $1,000, police said.

The theft comes amid a 161% rise in robberies in the precinct covering Central Park this year through Aug. 25, part of a 41% increase in overall major crime in the park compared to the same period in 2023, NYPD data shows. Felony assaults in the park are also up 57% this year.

NYPD officials said they suspect a "migrant robbery pattern"—made up of teens traveling in groups of up to 12 people—is responsible for a rash of recent robberies and thefts in the park, especially below 65th Street.

“That’s what we’re combating,” NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said of the juvenile robbery crew. “We think they’re responsible for most of them, if not all of them.”

Earlier this month, police announced a surge of resources to the park to combat the crime spike, including increased patrols of officers on foot, bikes and horses, as well as the use of drones, which the NYPD said provide a better view of the over-800-acre park. They’re operating out of a new command post at Central Park South and Seventh Avenue.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.