A 16-year-old girl managed to fight off multiple attackers during an attempted robbery in New York City.
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According to the New York Daily News, the unknown suspects were allegedly trying to snatch the teenager’s bag. Instead of letting go of her belongings and surrendering, the girl decided to fight them off.
The outlet reported the attack happened on 43rd St. in the city’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. The young girl was walking with a 16-year-old boy when the suspects approached them. According to the report, the group of men was attempting to sell the minors marijuana when the attempted robbery occurred.
After offering the teenagers the opportunity to make a drug purchase, the men moved to snatch the girl’s bag. The surveillance video shows the girl being knocked to the ground and clinging to her bag as one of the suspects gets on top of her.
Then, she is lifted up and tossed on the sidewalk, as another alleged suspect kicks her while she’s on the ground. The men eventually give up on stealing the bag and instead take the other teenager’s phone. According to the report, the girl suffered a minor injury.
The Daily Mail reported although the footage only clearly shows the girl, her male counterpart was also attacked. The suspects have not yet been identified nor arrested, according to the report.
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The crime took place near the Samaritan Village, a residential facility that offers mental health and addiction treatment services to veterans. Per the Daily Mail, 1,000 robberies were reported in the city during the first 24 days of 2020. But in 2021, the number dropped to 726 robberies for New York City in the same time span.
According to the NYPD, crime reached a record low overall last year. Although there was significant growth in homicides, shootings, burglaries, and car theft in 2020, the crime rate was lower than in 2019 with 95,552 reported incidents. The coronavirus pandemic, racial uprisings, and other social issues are all believed to have had an impact.
“What New York City and our nation experienced in 2020 will resonate for a long, long time,” said police commissioner Dermot Shea in the statement. “The NYPD recognizes this as a time for asking and answering difficult questions, for reflection and action, and for encouraging and serving New Yorkers. This will determine the way forward for all of us. Together, we will ensure the preservation of our collective public safety while also cultivating a culture that upholds the values and dignity of every New Yorker, in every neighborhood.”
Anyone with information on the aforementioned crime is asked to call (800) 577-TIPS.
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