NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A stranger grabbed a woman's phone and threw it into the Pond at Central Park on Monday—the latest in a rash of crimes that has the NYPD upping patrols in the area.
The 42-year-old man grabbed the 35-year-old woman's phone around 10 a.m. Monday near East 60th Street and Fifth Avenue.
He then hurled the phone into the water for no apparent reason, police said.
NYPD officers took the man into custody at the scene. He faces a charge of grand larceny.
It comes amid a spate of violent muggings in the park in recent days. According to NYPD crime statistics, robberies in the park have surged in 2024, from three reported cases last year to 15 as of last Sunday.
Last Thursday, 28-year-old woman was punched in the face and robbed of her phone near West 97th Street last Thursday, police said.
Then last Friday morning, a 42-year-old man was attacked by three males as he jogged at East Drive and East 59th Street. One thief held a gun to his head as another punched him in the face and stole his phone, according to police.
And on Friday night, a man was targeted by two males in the area of East Drive and East 109th Street. They tried to steal his phone, but he fought back, and they fled.
No arrests have been made in any of the robberies.