Citi Bike-riding thief menaces Central Park, targets 4 victims in just under an hour: cops
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
A Citi Bike-riding thief or thieves terrorized Central Park on Sunday — targeted four people in little over an hour while boasting to one terrified victim, “I rob people for a living,” cops and sources said.
The bandit or bandits robbed two people including a 15-year-old girl and tried to rob two others on both the west and east sides of the iconic green space, police said.
The NYPD couldn’t say for sure Monday whether one person was behind all four crimes.
In the first stick-up, a young-looking man on a Citi Bike approached a 42-year-old woman who was walking on West Drive near West 86th Street around 7:50 p.m. and demanded she hand over her bag, authorities and police sources said.
The victim ran away and the suspect — who may be a teen — chased her for a stretch but he ultimately gave up and pedaled away on the bike, cops and sources said.
Then around 8:15 p.m., a suspect on a Citi Bike approached a 15-year-old girl and demanded her cellphone, as well as the passcode to unlock it, cops said.
The teen complied out of fear – and briefly tried to chase the bike-riding robber – also described as possibly a teen – but he got away, sources said.
A 37-year-old man became the next victim when he tried to intervene in a fight between a man and woman on the West Drive near West 79th Street around 8:40 p.m., cops said.
The male suspect simulated a gun as he ordered the victim to hand over his hat, which he did, police said.
The thief then pedaled away on a bike, authorities said.
About 20 minutes later, a 36-year-old woman was walking on the East Drive near East 109th Street when a male suspect confronted her, snarling, “I rob people for a living,” cops and sources said.
He demanded the victim’s property – but she refused, police said.
The determined crook then grabbed her coat, ripping it – prompting the victim to run away for her safety, until she found another woman who she asked for help, sources said.
The empty-handed suspect fled on a Citi Bike, police said.
No arrests had been made on Monday.
