A 33-year-old woman was knocked to the ground and robbed of her phone in an early morning attack near the W59th Street entrance to Riverside Park.
The NYPD sealed off an area of Riverside Park just north of W59th Street, where the greenway links to Hudson River Park, after the assault.
Police said that the attack happened at around 4:45am. An unknown assailant grabbed the woman, knocking her to the ground. When the victim took out her iPhone, the robber snatched the phone and ran off, heading north into the park.
The woman was taken to a local hospital to be treated for her injuries. The police clarified that earlier reports on the Citizen app suggesting this was an armed robbery were incorrect.
Last week, a man was fatally stabbed just down the river at Pier 84 in Hudson River Park — a 19-year-old man has been arrested in connection with that homicide.
Due to the ongoing investigation, walkers and runners had to share the bike path with cyclists along a few blocks on Thursday morning.
Police do not believe there is a connection between this incident and the attempted rape of a woman on Tuesday evening further up the park at W89th Street.
We will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.