A 13-year-old migrant boy and three masked friends attacked a man with a stabbing during a violent encounter near Times Square on Sunday, reportedly because he refused to take their picture, according to police and sources.
At approximately 9 p.m., a group of friends, including an Ecuadorian teenager, approached a 23-year-old man at the intersection of West 40th Street and Seventh Avenue, requesting him to take their photo, according to police and sources.
Authorities reported that when the pedestrian refused, the crew attacked him, hitting him in the face and stabbing him in the back and leg with a brass-knuckle knife.
According to police, they attempted to take his cellphone but were not successful.
Authorities reported that the suspects fled the scene, but officers successfully apprehended the young teen after conducting a search with the victim.
A young individual, last reported to be residing at the infamous Roosevelt Hotel known for its violence, has been charged with second-degree robbery, according to police and sources.
Authorities and police reported that the victim declined medical attention following the violent incident, as the stab wounds were only superficial.
Sources indicate that the three suspects who remain at large were last spotted dressed entirely in black, including black facemasks.
A teenager was taken into custody on October 26 for a chain snatching incident that occurred on a northbound F train at McDonald Avenue and Avenue X in Brooklyn, according to law enforcement sources.
Five suspects were involved, with all of them restraining the victim, who had been asleep before the robbery but attempted to resist the attackers, according to sources.
