A trio of armed robbers on bicycles targeted six people in Central Park during a rapid cellphone mugging spree late Thursday, police said.
The holdups unfolded over roughly an hour along East Drive, with the suspects flashing a gun before snatching phones and pedaling away, according to investigators. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether all four incidents were carried out by the same group, and the crimes remained under investigation Friday.
The first robbery was reported at approximately 8:41 p.m. Near East 79th Street and East Drive. A 28-year-old man told officers that three unknown males approached him, and one of them displayed a firearm before grabbing his cellphone. The three suspects then fled east through the park on bicycles, police said.
About 50 minutes later, a 46-year-old man was robbed near East 109th Street and East Drive. He told police that three males confronted him and one flashed a gun before taking his phone.
Just 15 minutes after that, officers were called to East 106th Street and East Drive for two additional robberies. A 22-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman told cops they were confronted by three males, including one who displayed a firearm. At the same location, two 43-year-old men flagged down police and reported that three males had also just pulled a gun on them and stolen their cellphones, according to authorities.
The suspects fled east toward Fifth Avenue following the final robberies, police said. No injuries were reported in any of the incidents.
The spree marked a brazen burst of violence in one of Manhattan’s most heavily trafficked public spaces, where armed street crime remains relatively rare despite occasional high-profile incidents. The NYPD continued to investigate the robberies Friday as they worked to determine whether the same trio was responsible for all six muggings.