NEW YORK (PIX11) – A 62-year-old woman was dragged down a New York City sidewalk and thrown into a pole while trying to prevent two robbers on a moped from stealing her purse, video of the incident shows.
The woman is among the victims of migrants who were allegedly part of an organized crime enterprise accused of riding around on mopeds and robbing people. The robbery ring is tied to more than 60 incidents in New York City over the past few months, authorities said.
A 23-year-old college student was another victim of the robberies. Her cellphone was snatched right from her hands while she was using it.
“I was on FaceTime with my friend. I was walking and then in front of the building that’s when two guys on a moped snatched my phone,” the 23-year-old said. “I’m just happy I’m not one of them that got hurt.”
A 17-year-old boy became a victim too while waiting for a bus in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn.
“Two guys on the moped snatched the phone out of my hand and just continued driving down the street. I was in complete shock. I didn’t know what to do,” the 17-year-old said.
The robbers not only stole his phone, but they were able to tap into the phone and steal $500 from his account, police said.
"I felt invaded of my privacy and my property and in that moment I cried a little bit because I didn’t expect that to happen in my own neighborhood,” the 17-year-old said.
PIX11 News was there during a raid on the robbery ring in the Bronx Monday morning. Several people were arrested in the raid, including a man who allegedly acted as the group’s IT technician to crack the stolen devices.
Police are still searching for 30-year-old Victor Parra, the alleged leader of the robbery ring. He recruited his accomplices by allegedly blasting WhatsApp messages looking for volunteers, officials said. The texts would specify the phone models he was looking for.
“I have money. I’m available. Go get them,” Parra allegedly said in the WhatsApp messages, police said.
The phones would then be sent to Parra, where he paid the tech guy to hack the phones, clear out the victims’ bank accounts, and make fraudulent purchases, police said. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been stolen from the victims.
The scooter operators made $100 a day and the phone snatchers were paid between $300-$600 per phone, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
“These perpetrators are part of a sophisticated criminal enterprise made up of immigrants who have recently arrived in the United States,” Kenny said at a press briefing Monday. “This network of thieves predominantly lives in the migrant shelter system.”
Police have identified 14 members of the crew. Seven have been arrested and three others are being investigated. Two of the suspects arrested were the ones who allegedly robbed the 62-year-old woman and dragged her down the street.
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