A couple in their 20’s were robbed by a group of 12 young people on an East Village street after leaving the bar over the weekend.
The pair, a 22-year-old woman and 23-year-old man, were confronted by the 12 young-looking suspects – eight men and four women – as they walked on East 12th Street and Avenue C around 3:45 a.m. Sunday, authorities said. One of the robbers flashed an “unknown weapon” before “forcibly” ripping off the victims’ cell phones, debit cards, purse and wallet, police said.
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The woman suffered minor injuries. But she and her male partner both refused medical attention at the scene, police said. Surveillance footage released showed by the NYPD showed the suspects – all of whom appear to be teenagers – walking on the sidewalk before they stop and huddle together in a circle.
“Give me your stuff,” someone in the group said, according to police.
That’s when police said members of the group forcibly removed the victims’ cellphones, purses, wallets and debit cards.
“They are not from around here,” a neighbor told PIX11 News as he looked at the photos released by police. “People around here have a certain attitude. They look transient like they’re just passing through.”
“This neighborhood is good. You can tell who’s who,” a neighbor called Larry told PIX11 News. “I don’t know any of these people whatsoever.”
New York City has experienced a significant decrease in crime over the past few decades, making it much safer than it was in the 1980s and 1990s when crime rates were much higher. This decrease in crime can be attributed to various factors, including improved policing strategies, economic development, and demographic changes.
As we previously reported, another crazy incident in New York took place earlier this month. A 55-year-old man was taken on a wild car chase and robbed of $20k at gunpoint in Manhattan.
New York Police Department officials say the incident occurred sometime before 5 p.m. on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 3) when a black Mercedes-Benz (presumed to be a $120,000 S-Class coupe) came charging down a block, chasing a silver Toyota Rav4, which was carrying $20,000 in cash. The two cars eventually made it onto Second Avenue near 91st Street on the Upper East Side. As they played out a dramatic scene, like something you would see out of a movie like ‘Fast & Furious,’ the two cars each screeched their tires as the Mercedes continuously rammed into the fleeing Toyota.