14-year-old boy with autism robbed in Manhattan, 2nd suspect sought

Monday, November 16, 2020

14-year-old boy with autism robbed in Manhattan, 2nd suspect sought

Police are searching for a second suspect after one man was arrested in connection with the robbery of a 14-year-old boy with autism in Manhattan.

LOWER MANHATTAN (WABC) -- Police are searching for a second suspect after one man was arrested in connection with the robbery of a 14-year-old boy with autism in Manhattan.

The robbery happened around 11:30 a.m. Friday on Lafayette Street in Lower Manhattan.

Video showed one of the men pin the boy against a scaffolding pole while the other stole from him.

Police are searching for a second suspect after one man was arrested in connection with the robbery of a 14-year-old boy with autism in Manhattan.

They struck the victim in the face repeatedly during the robbery.

The men took his jacket and his shoulder bag that contained his wallet, $4 in cash, and his cell phone.

They walked away, while the boy was taken to Presbyterian Downtown Hospital with minor injuries.

Authorities say 35-year-old Charles Destefano was arrested Friday afternoon, but investigators are still looking for the other suspect.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls are strictly confidential.

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