NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- Two men and a teen boy were robbed at gunpoint in the Grand Army Plaza entrance of Central Park early Tuesday morning, police said amid an increase in crime in the park this year.
The three victims—ages 35, 21 and 15—were approached by four teen robbers around 1 a.m. at West 59th Street and Fifth Avenue.
One of the suspects pulled a gun while the other three stole the victims' property, including a chain and Apple AirPods, police said.
NYPD officers responding to a 911 call managed to take three of the suspects into custody without incident, while the fourth fled the scene.
No injuries were reported in the mugging.
Less than two weeks ago, a 38-year-old man was surrounded and robbed by kids as young as 10 years old near Wollman Rink in the park, police said.
Robberies have increased this year in the Central Park Precinct, according to NYPD data.
Robberies are up 200% through Aug. 11, compared to the same time in 2023. NYPD stats show 30 robberies reported this year versus 10 last year during that period.
Overall major crimes in the park are up 46%, driven by the spike in robberies as well as a 42.9% increase in felony assaults, with 10 such assaults reported so far this year compared to seven last year.