Police Search For 5 Suspects In String Of Prospect Park Robberies

PROSPECT PARK – The NYPD is requesting the public’s assistance in identifying the male seen below in connection with a series of recent robberies in Prospect Park. Police say the suspect is one of five men who have been targeting teen boys at the park.

The first incident occurred at approximately 6:30pm on Thursday, April 25 in the vicinity of West Lake Drive and West Drive by Vanderbilt Playground, according to a police representative. A 16-year-old male was approached by a group of five males who demanded his property. The victim handed them $8 and the group fled the scene. The victim was not injured.

The second incident occurred at approximately 3:30pm on Saturday, April 27 when a group of five males approached a 13-year-old male walking northbound on West Drive, according to the police rep. One of the suspects asked to use the victim’s cellphone and punched him in the face. The suspects grabbed the victim’s iPhone 7 and fled the scene. The victim refused medical attention.

The most recent incident took place at approximately 5:10pm on Thursday, May 2 at  Prospect Park West and 9th Street. Five males approached a 17-year-old male, punched him in the face and pushed him to the ground before taking his iPhone 8 and his backpack containing his Apple MacBook Pro. The victim refused medical attention.

The above photo is from the second incident (April 27). A description of the other four suspects is not currently available, according to the police representative.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls are strictly confidential.