A disturbing trend of violent crime has emerged in New York City, with a recent string of incidents linked to a group of young migrants. An 11-year-old Venezuelan national was arrested for his role as the primary aggressor in a mugging on the subway, as well as a series of robberies in Central Park.
According to eyewitness accounts, the 11-year-old and a 17-year-old accomplice attacked a 24-year-old straphanger at a Queens subway station, punching him in the face and stealing his phone. The victim described the 11-year-old as the instigator of the incident, saying he was “essentially provoking it” and “just up in my face and stuff like that.”
Surveillance footage also captured the 11-year-old using stolen credit cards during a series of robberies in Central Park. NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell noted that police have linked around 10 robberies in the area to a group of up to 12 migrant boys or young men, and believe they are responsible for most, if not all, of the incidents.
Law enforcement officials suspect that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua is behind the robberies. One NYPD supervisor in Manhattan expressed frustration with the situation, attributing it to a lack of effective integration of immigrants into society.
The victim of the subway mugging expressed concern about the 11-year-old’s behavior, saying it was “pretty upsetting” and that his parents needed to take a more active role in addressing his actions. “Whatever they are doing is not working,” he added.
