According to Shawinsky, police were called to the train station to investigate an attempted cellphone robbery. While looking for suspects, officers received a report of another cellphone robbery, he said.
Officers found two suspects riding bikes in the area of 1055 Washington Blvd., he said. One suspect, 16, stopped when officers arrived, and the other, Tyrell Williams, 18, took off on his bike, Shawinsky said. Officers chased him down an alley way and scaled a fence before catching him, he said.
After climbing the 10-foot fence, Williams struggled with officers, Shawinsky said. While climbing the fence Officer Peter Malanga heard a pop in his knee and was taken to the hospital for treatment, the sergeant said.
The first victim, a 24-year-old New York City man, was able to keep his phone when the two suspects rode up from behind him and tried to grab it, Shawinsky said. But he wasn’t concerned because they didn’t take the phone, the sergeant said.
The second victim was a 32-year-old woman whose phone was taken by the suspects, but it was found on the side of the road in the area, he said.
Both identified the suspects as the people involved, Shawinsky said.
Williams told police he didn’t want to take anything from the woman and said he was just trying to slap her to scare her, Shawinsky said. He was charged with second-degree larceny, interfering with an officer/resisting and assault on a police officer. He was held on $75,000 bond, police said.
Shawinsky did not know the exact charges filed against the 16-year-old suspect, who was turned over to the youth bureau.
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