A Staten Island block was left on edge after a 13-year-old boy was robbed at knifepoint Tuesday afternoon in front of 1609 Castleton Avenue, police say. An unidentified attacker came up from behind, flashed a knife, grabbed the teen’s property and then bolted on foot. The incident shook neighbors and set off a citywide alert from investigators later in the week.
🚨WANTED FOR A ROBBERY: On Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at approximately 3:05 P.M., in front of 1609 Castleton Avenue a 13-year-old male victim was approached from behind by an unidentified individual who displayed a knife. The individual then removed the victim's property and fled https://x.com/i/status/2037615844927164566
— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) March 27, 2026
Police Drop Wanted Alert After Daylight Robbery
Detectives put out a wanted notice on X spelling out the basics of the March 17 robbery, according to NYPD Crime Stoppers. The post pegs the time at about 3:05 p.m. and says the suspect showed a knife before taking the boy’s property and running off. Investigators say they are combing through door-cam and phone video as they work to put a name to the face seen in surveillance images.
How To Submit Tips And Claim A Reward
The city’s Crime Stoppers program is offering up to $3,500 for information that leads to an arrest and indictment, and urges anyone with information to call 1-800-577-TIPS or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA, or to submit a tip online, according to NYPD Crime Stoppers. Tips can be sent in anonymously, and the program is run by the New York City Police Foundation.
Robberies Targeting Kids Put Families On Alert
Police warnings like this one echo a run of recent alerts about stickups aimed at teenagers in different parts of the city, sometimes involving knives and quick getaways, as documented in coverage of a scooter robbery crew targeting Brooklyn kids. In those cases, officers urged residents to hang on to any surveillance or phone footage and let investigators handle the suspects.
What Charges The Suspect Could Face
Under New York law, showing or using a weapon during a theft can bump the crime up to second- or first-degree robbery, which are felony offenses that carry heavier penalties depending on the specifics, according to state statutes. Prosecutors will decide on charges after detectives turn their case over to the district attorney.
Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the March 17 robbery or who has video from the Castleton Avenue area to save those files and contact Crime Stoppers. For more details or to submit a tip online, check the program page or the wanted alert on social, and call 1-800-577-TIPS (Spanish: 1-888-57-PISTA).
