Video captures Central Park mugger stealing phone in broad daylight

Moment Central Park mugger punches woman on crutches and steals her cell phone during brazen daylight robbery as crime spikes in NYC

  • Bystander footage shows a man appearing to punch a woman for her cell phone before running off on Friday morning
  • Police said a good Samaritan was able to retrieve the phone later but the mugger remains at large
  • The brazen mugging took place as violent crimes have spiked in the city
  • Muggings alone are up 40 percent this month from the same time last year 

Police are seeking information on a man who was caught on bystander video trying to steal a woman’s iPhone in Central Park Friday morning

Bystander video appears to show a brazen daylight mugging in Central Park on Friday as violent crime continues its spike in New York City.  

A woman with a crutch beside her and her leg in a boot can be seen in the video sitting on a bench overlooking the Harlem Meer when the mugger strikes.

Clad in a purple hooded sweatshirt and blue Yankees cap, he makes a move for the 40-year-old woman’s iPhone.

She tries to fight him off while hopping on one foot, but he punches her in the face with enough force to knock her hat to the ground, and he begins to run off with the phone. 

A woman walking her dog is then seen sticking her leg out to trip him as he runs past, but is unsuccessful. 

Not captured on camera, however, was the witness, police say, who confronted the mugger and retrieved the phone for the woman.

The woman was sitting on a bench overlooking the Harlem Meer with a crutch beside her, police said when the mugger approached her and went to grab her phone

Police had no further details on the good Samaritan, but the mugger was able to get away, and police are looking for information that could lead to his arrest. 

He is described as in his mid 40s, around 5-foot-5, weighing between 140 and 150 pounds with a thin build, light complexion and light gray facial hair. 

The victim suffered minor injuries and refused medical attention at the scene police said.

The two struggled, and he can be seen punching the woman in the face before running off with the phone

A woman walking her dog attempts to trip the mugger as he makes his escape. While she is unsuccessful, police said another bystander off-camera was able to confront the mugger and retrieve the phone for the woman

Police ask that anyone with information on the mugger reach out to the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1 (800) 577-8477. 

The daylight mugging comes as violent crimes have increased in the city from the same time last year.

Robberies, which include muggings, were up nearly 40 percent over the past month, with 1,086 recorded compared to 782 in 2020, according to NYPD crime data. 

Crimes such as robberies have seen a spike in recent months, and have been up compared to the same period last year 

Assaults are up too, with 1,847 reported over the past months, compared to 1,565 last year, an 18 percent increase.  

Murders, however, are down 34 percent, with 31 recorded in the past month compared to 47 during the same time last year.  

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