Two people were robbed of their cell phones at knifepoint in a pair of late Thursday stick-ups on the Upper West Side – just down the block from Central Park, cops said.
In the first heist around 7:15 p.m., a masked menace approached a 29-year-old man inside a building on West 85th Street near Columbus Avenue, flashed a knife and grabbed his cell phone, police said.
The suspect, described as a male with a dark complexion, standing around 5-foot-8 and wearing a black face mask, green winter jacket, and dark-colored pants, fled on foot, authorities said.
The victim was not hurt, according to police.
Then around 11 p.m., two brutes stormed up to a 42-year-old woman on West 76th Street near Columbus Avenue, displayed a knife, grabbed the victim’s phone and shoved her to the ground, cops said.
The callous duo fled the scene, one on foot and the other on a Razor scooter, police said.
The victim refused medical attention at the scene, cops said.
Both were taken into custody a short time later with charges pending, and two knives were recovered, police said.
NYPD data shows that overall felony crime has seen about a 33 percent spike in the first few weeks of 2026, as of Sunday in the confines of the 20th Precinct, which covers the area.
That uptick is driven by surges in grand larcenies, with 39 reported compared to last year’s 28; burglaries with 11 compared to six; and felony assaults with eight compared to five.
