A 17-year-old boy was violently robbed inside the Utica Avenue-Crown Heights subway station on Friday night, according to the NYPD.
The victim was on the platform waiting for a southbound 3 train just after 9 p.m. when an unknown man wearing a Chicago bulls hat and a blue-and-green zip-up sweatshirt grabbed his backpack, according to police. When the teen tried to take his bag back, the perp took out a knife and stabbed him in the shoulder.
Surveillance video showed the robber leaving the station through an emergency exit door with a backpack over his shoulder.
Paramedics brought the victim to Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center in stable condition.
Police have not yet arrested the perpetrator, and the case is still being investigated. Anyone with knowledge of the incident is asked to notify CrimeStoppers via phone at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), online, or on X.
Transit crime is down more than 40% year-over-year in the 77th Precinct, where Friday’s robbery occurred, according to the most recent statistics, and robbery is down just over 10%.
In June, the NYPD touted a significant decline in subway crime after a spate of violent incidents at the start of the year. Cops have said a boost of police and a crackdown on fare evasions have contributed to the decrease, but faced criticism after a pair of officers chasing down an alleged fare evader in Brownsville last month shot four people, including two bystanders and one of the officers.
