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At around noon on Saturday, August 27, a gun-toting gang of robbers on wheels was seen spreading havoc in Upper Manhattan, New York, in a video. In the video that's being shared online, the gang can allegedly be seen trying to rob a young man.
A local resident who saw the whole incident described it and said:
“It was like something you see out of a movie. How are they going to try to rob someone in broad daylight?”
An in-depth look into the chaos spread by the bandits in New York
Based on the video and a police investigation, two unknown suspects on the ride started pursuing a 28-year-old pedestrian on Nagle Avenue and Arden Street in Fort George, New York.
Soon, the thieves cornered their victim on the pavement and one of them grabbed him by the shirt while holding a revolver in his other hand. The victim was seen struggling and repeatedly screaming for help. The two suspects seemed to be forcefully trying to snatch something off his neck.
Later, a stranger ran towards the suspects from behind and was seen helping the victim get rid of the robbers. The bystander grabbed the revolver and tried in vain to catch up with the bandits on foot as they fled down the block on their motorcycle.
Another person who saw the incident said:
“Everyone in the store got on the ground. All I know is they wanted his chain."
According to sources, the victim was taken to a local hospital in New York with minor injuries.
The group reportedly targets people wearing chains or jewelry, according to Chief James Essig, Chief of Detectives of the NYPD. He added that a majority of the incidents have taken place in Riverdale and Inwood and noted:
“[They] ride up on the sidewalk with a weapon – a gun, threaten with a gun. Thank God we haven’t had anyone shot in this incident. The gun was recovered in the last incident, where people were fighting back and we retained the gun.”
Police have reportedly fired three rounds while the suspects fled on their bikes, wreaking havoc and creating misery on the streets of New York. Following the incident, a police officer, Miseal Romano, said:
"It's good people on the block helped each other out. That's something nice, and good to be in the community where we have each other's back, even though it's still pretty scary."
Moped-riding robbers have attacked numerous people in Manhattan recently
The attempted mugging was one of the many recent crimes committed by two suspects on a small, black motorcycle without a license plate but with white markings.
According to law enforcement officials, among the crimes of the suspects was a planned but unsuccessful heist that took place a few hours before the attempted mugging. The earlier heist took place at the Guggenheim Museum in New York and targeted some women.
The two men attempted to steal a necklace from two women who resisted them on East 89th Street near 5th Avenue on the Upper East Side on Saturday afternoon. However, the robbers had to reportedly, run away empty-handed.
Another bike attack took place on Friday in Chelsea when a man was jumped as he was crossing West 23rd Street from 7th Avenue to Fifth Avenue. Detectives said that the man's Rolex watch worth $12,000 was snatched. They added that a third man escaped on a motorbike while the two others drove off on a dirt bike.
New York city police are yet to make any arrests in the cases.
