Police Arrest Three Teens for Two Robberies in Prospect Park

After a recent spike in robberies in Prospect Park, Brooklyn’s green oasis hasn’t seen any muggings in almost two weeks, police said. 

The 78th Precinct’s Commanding Officer, Deputy Inspector Michael Ameri said that there has not been a robbery in Prospect Park for 13 days, the last being on Nov. 23.

During the spike in crime, between Jan. 1 and Nov. 23 of this year, there were 17 robberies, compared to only seven during the same span of time in 2011.

But during the spate, police in the 78th Precinct saw a 10-percent increase in arrests in the park.  

The first arrest of these three apprehensions occurred on Nov. 28 for a mugging on Nov. 11, Ameri said.

According to the police report, cops arrested a 17-year-old male for stealing another kid’s iPhone while on Prospect Park West and Ninth Street on Nov. 11.

The teenaged victim told police that he was walking home with a friend when they were confronted by a large group of teenagers at around 9:15 p.m. One of the kids, a black 17-year-old, approximately 5-foot-6 and wearing a hood obscuring his face, said, “If you don’t give me your phone we’re going to jump you.”

The crook then put his hands into the victim’s pocket, removed his iPhone and ran into the park at Ninth Street.

The teenaged-crook was able to avoid arrest initially, but Ameri said his officers eventually found him.

“Our cops assigned to the park recognized him and made the arrest,” Ameri explained. 

Police arrested two other teens on Nov. 30 for putting a large knife up to another kid’s throat just inside the park, between 14th and 15th streets, and stealing $100 a week earlier.

According to the police report, the 17-year-old victim told cops that two kids he knew approached him on Prospect Park West at around 8:30 p.m. One of the crooks was an 18-year-old Hispanic male, about 5-foot-11, and the other was a black 17-year-old.

The 18-year-old pulled out a long blade and placed it to the victim’s neck stating, “Don’t move.” The other crook stood in front of the victim to keep him from running away while the blade-wielding teen removed his wallet from his pocket. The crooks got away with $100 cash. The victim was not injured. 

Ameri said that the majority of the muggings during the spike, like the two reported above, are kid-on-kid.

“Most of the suspects are born after 1993,” he said.  

Now with three good arrests and two weeks without a single robbery, Ameri said his men are doing well patrolling the 585-acre park.

“We’re making progress, making arrests,” Ameri said during an interview. “Our officers assigned to the park are doing their job and with that I hope the spike is on its way down.”