Man Snatches Cell Phone From Woman In Central Park: NYPD

CENTRAL PARK, NYC — A man snatched a cell phone from a woman walking in Central Park and threw it into a pond in a random, unprovoked attack on Monday, police said.

Authorities say the 35-year-old woman was walking in the area near Fifth Avenue and East 60th Street around 10 a.m. on Monday when the incident occurred.

The suspect snatched her phone and tossed it into a pond before fleeing the scene, an NYPD spokesperson said.

Fontaine Moise, 42, was arrested and charged with criminal mischief. Court records show that he was freed without bond at his arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court.

The incident happens as police continue to respond to a surge in crime in Central Park. Over the last few days, police have investigated five crime-related events at the park.

One man told the New York Post that he and his wife are contemplating moving away from Manhattan, in part because of the recent uptick in crimes.

“Since Covid something snapped. There are a lot more incidents,” Steve Bollon, 60, said.

According to NYPD records, there have been 15 robberies in Central Park this year through April 21, up from three in the same period last year.