The Upper Manhattan neighborhood was rocked by a series of violent incidents involving a teen trio on Thursday night. The three individuals, two aged 15 and one aged 14, were responsible for two robberies and a stabbing that occurred within a span of just over an hour, according to authorities and sources.
The first incident took place around 10:10 p.m. when the teens targeted a 35-year-old woman walking home from a smoke shop on First Avenue near East 93rd Street on the Upper East Side. Armed with a knife, they demanded her phone and forcefully took it from her as they pushed her to the ground.
Shortly after, at around 10:25 p.m., the trio stabbed a 62-year-old man at East 97th Street and Second Avenue. Witnesses reported that the man was stabbed in the leg and torso before the assailants fled the scene. The victim was rushed to Weill Cornell Medical Center in critical condition but was later stabilized.
The motive behind the stabbing remains unclear. The teens then proceeded to East 110th Street near Third Avenue in East Harlem, where they assaulted a 63-year-old man by punching him multiple times in the face. They also stole his backpack, which contained his wallet and credit cards, before making their escape. The victim declined medical assistance for an eye injury sustained during the attack.
Thanks to the swift response of law enforcement, the perpetrators were apprehended inside a building on Fifth Avenue near East 111th Street. Their identities have not been disclosed, and the specific charges they face are pending.
The violent spree orchestrated by these young individuals serves as a stark reminder of the importance of public safety and the need for communities to remain vigilant against such acts of aggression. Authorities are working diligently to ensure that those responsible for these heinous crimes are held accountable for their actions.