The New York Police Department is searching for a trio of teenage robbers who viciously assaulted a woman in Central Park earlier this month, as robberies in the green space continue to rise.
Police have released photos of three baby-faced robbers, believed to be between 15 and 17 years old, approaching a 27-year-old woman inside the park at 67 West Drive around 11:45 p.m. on August 11.
Police said the assailants grabbed the woman by the arms and demanded that she hand over her belongings.
Police say the attackers took her cell phone and wallet, then ran numerous charges on her credit cards.
The suspects fled on foot, and the NYPD released video and photos late Wednesday of the suspects walking through what appeared to be the building's lobby.
Police said one of the suspects is described as a slim man who was last seen wearing a white tank top, gray sweatpants, red and white sneakers and carrying a black crossbody bag.
Police described the second suspect as a slender man who was last seen wearing a colorful hat, white T-shirt, black shorts and white sneakers and carrying a black cross-body bag.
The third boy is also of slim build and was last seen wearing a black baseball cap, black T-shirt and white shorts.
As of Thursday morning, the robbery did not appear to be a routine crime, police said.
But earlier this month, NYPD Sergeant John Chell revealed that an 11-year-old boy arrested in connection with a subway robbery in Queens had been linked to a series of robberies carried out by immigrant children in Central Park.
Groups of up to 12 migrant boys or young men may have been involved in about 10 of the robberies in Central Park, Chell said.
Robberies in the iconic park have more than doubled so far this year compared to the same period in 2023, according to the latest NYPD data updated Sunday.
Statistics show that a total of 34 robberies have been reported so far this year, compared to 13 during the same period last year.
