One of the young migrants busted in the caught-on-camera beatdown of two cops in Times Square is believed to be the ringleader of a robbery crew that terrorized Central Park last year, law-enforcement sources said.
The 12-year-old suspected thief — one of four baby-faced migrants arrested so far in the Friday night attack — was previously nabbed in August for being the “aggressor” in a violent gang mugging at a Queens subway station.
The pipsqueak, whose name is being withheld because of his age, was released both times with no big-boy charges and only a family court hearing date – a symptom of the state’s lax juvenile justice system.
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions. We’re not helping anyone with these insane laws,” one law enforcement source said. “We essentially turned an 11-year-old into a ringleader of a robbery crew with no legal mechanism to protect the public of the kid.”
Investigators believe he may be behind more than 20 Manhattan robberies, sources said.
Cops suspect he is the leader of a violent robbery crew that has pulled off at least 21 heists in and around Central Park since June, sources said.
They also believe him to be a member of the Diablos de la 42, or Devils of 42nd Street, a sort of the minor leagues for the violent Venezuelan street gang Tren de Aragua in the Big Apple, according to the sources.
Yet he dodged serious consequences following his August arrest due to his age – which under state law means he gets a slap on the wrist and is released until he can go before a family court judge.
The boy was allegedly back on the streets shortly before 8 pm on Friday when the crew tried to rob two youngsters in Times Square, sources said.
When two of New York’s Finest intervened, the mob attacked the cops and ran off.
The incident was eerily similar to a January 2024 attack on two other police officers in Times Square by a rowdy migrant gang.
In a statement Monday, the NYPD denounced the latest attack.
“This incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers that NYPD police officers face every day while working to keep New Yorkers safe,” the statement said. “Our detectives’ swift investigation led to the arrest of some of these individuals the day after the incident, and they continue to work tirelessly to identify and pursue those that are still outstanding.”
— Additional reporting by Amanda Wood
