A 12-year-old boy walking near Clay Avenue and East 170th Street in the Bronx was robbed of his coat and $517 in cash just after 1 p.m. on October 17, when an unidentified person forcibly took his belongings and ran off into Claremont Park. The NYPD has issued a public appeal for help identifying the suspect, who remains at large more than a week after the encounter.
What Happened Near Clay Avenue
According to Shore News Network, the suspect forcibly removed the child's coat, valued at approximately $230, and took $517 in cash before fleeing on foot into Claremont Park. The outlet reports the combined value of the stolen property and money was approximately $747, and that the incident occurred at approximately 1 p.m. within the 44th Precinct. NYPD Crime Stoppers, in a wanted post on Facebook, described the encounter as beginning with a verbal dispute between the unidentified individual and the boy before the theft occurred.
The NYPD has asked anyone with information to come forward as the search continues.
Part of a Troubling Pattern at Claremont Park
This is not the first robbery reported near that same stretch of Clay Avenue and East 170th Street this year. In September, the NYPD searched for a man and woman accused of robbing a 35-year-old victim at gunpoint inside Claremont Park, per the same account from Shore News Network. In that case, the robbery happened at approximately 7:30 p.m. on September 16, when the woman displayed a firearm and demanded the victim's property; the victim handed over a bracelet, necklace, and wallet containing approximately $600 before the pair fled on foot. Police reported no injuries in that incident.
Beyond these two cases, the area has seen a broader spike in robberies. The Bronx Times reported 13 separate robberies at Claremont Park and the surrounding area between Jan. 11 and May 11, involving male and female park visitors of all ages, with some suspects armed with guns and knives. That pattern, the paper noted, has included people walking into the park from Clay Avenue and East 170th Street, the same intersection named in both the September and October incidents.
How to Submit a Tip
The NYPD is asking anyone with information about the October 17 robbery to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or the Spanish-language hotline at 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website or by direct message to @NYPDTips on X. The department has not indicated whether any suspect has been identified in the days since it issued its public wanted alert.
