Group Of Teens Suspected In String Of Central Park Armed Robberies

NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- A third attack has been linked to a string of armed robberies in Central Park.

As CBS2's Dave Carlin reported, the NYPD was on the hunt for a group of teenagers on Wednesday.

The three robberies all had Central Park, after dark in common.

Authorities said the boys targeted victims, including some walking in pairs, in the park between Monday night and Tuesday morning.

In each case the victims reported seeing at least 4 suspects, some with what looked like handguns.

"My mother sends me articles whenever something happens here, and says please don't use the park at night," Will Bartow said.

Police said at 11:15 on Monday night, a park path near West 96th Street and West Drive became a crime scene, as teenaged looking suspects came out of the bushes. One of them was holding what appeared to be a black handgun.

The victim was a 33-year-old Queens man. The robbers took his backpack with credit cards and two phones inside.

About a half an hour later the crime wave continued.

Around 11:49 p.m. inside the park alongside the reservoir near 91st Street, the teens targeted two women, ages 45 and 26, who were walking along a foot path. They told police, armed young suspects threatened them with guns and stole their purses.

Police said they later found a BB gun wrapped in grey duct tape, along with wallets and credit cards belonging to the women.

Less than an hour and a half later, at 1:10 a.m. Tuesday, the crime scene was near 201 East 86th Street.

The victims were a man and woman in their late 20s.

They told investigators that six young looking suspects, one with what looked like a silver handgun, stole the man's cell phone, and the woman's purse containing a camera, debit card, MetroCard, and more.