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Coop City Public Safety arrests two teenagers for forced robbery of a food delivery man

A Co op City Public Safety officer on routine patrol near Coop City's Garage 5, arrested two teenagers, neither one a Co-op City resident, after he witnessed them and others force a food delivery person off his bicycle and take his delivery.

The incident began at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 28, 2016.

The Public Safety officer was finishing up an assigned routine inspection of Garage 5 when he witnessed a food delivery employee riding a bicycle along Asch Loop, past Building 20, suddenly get pushed to the ground and off the bike by a large group of approximately ten teenagers. Some members of the group then forcibly took the food order and ran off.

The officer immediately called in for back up and then rushed the scene where he was able to detain one of the teenagers, a 16 year old male from the Tremont section of the West Bronx.

Responding officers were able to capture another of the teens, a 17 year old resident of the Williamsbridge section of the Bronx, in front of Building 20A, around the corner from the initial robbery.

The arrested pair was taken back to the victim, who was uninjured by the attack, and he identified them as taking part in the robbery.

The suspects were then taken to the 45th Precinct station house where they were questioned by members of the 45th Precinct detective squad.

A joint investigation is continuing into the identity and whereabouts of the other young people involved and their connection, if any, to Coop City.

In late 2014 and early 2015, a rash of knife point robberies of food delivery personnel inside the community's buildings, caused Co op City Public Safety to temporarily suspend food deliveries beyond the building lobbies. After a surveillance investigation resulted in the arrest of those responsible a short time later, the ban on food deliveries to apartments was rescinded.

Chief Frank Apollo, Commanding Officer of the Public Safety Department, said that these types of crimes are not taken lightly by the department because these type of crimes can and often do escalate in armed robbery cases which can pose a danger to the life and welfare of the hard working people who make money delivering food and also residents who might be caught in the vicinity of the attack.

Chief Apollo added, "I commend the officer for his quick observation and perseverance in the capture of these suspects. The professionalism exhibited by this officer is a tremendous example of the dedicated men and women we have working in the Riverbay Co-op City Department of Public Safety. It is this officer's actions and others like them that keep this great community safe."

It is not known at this time whether this robbery was just an isolated incident caused by reckless teenagers or the beginning of another troubling pattern.

Whatever the case, Captain James Keappock, head of Riverbay's Public Safety Patrol Division, commended the alert officer who initiated the arrest. "The officer's quick observations and action resulted in these arrests. I will be recommending him for department recognition on this arrest," he said.

By Bill Stuttig
Coop City Times is now online

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