11-year-old illegal immigrant arrested for subway robbery, Central Park muggings in NYC

On Wednesday, the New York Police Department announced the arrest of two minor Venezuelan illegal immigrants on charges of assault and robbery. The suspects, who are 11 and 17, have been accused of a series of violent subway muggings and robberies that occurred in New York City, the New York Post reported. 

The violent pair were taken into custody around 10:15 pm Tuesday after they allegedly assaulted a 24-year-old passenger on board a Manhattan-bound 7 train near the Vernon Blvd-Jackson Ave stop in Queens, police said. They were nabbed outside the infamous Roosevelt Hotel migrant shelter in Midtown Manhattan.

The 11-year-old suspect has been described by police as the "primary aggressor" in the incident that occurred around 8:40 pm. The victim told the NYPD that the pair "attacked" and "jumped" him on the train. When he "fought back," the illegal migrant kids stole his phone and started passing it around. 

"He was just up in my face and stuff like that," the victim told the paper, referring to the youngest suspect as the instigator. "He was essentially provoking it," he added. The 11-year-old suspect was also captured on surveillance video footage using stolen credit cards related to a series of violent robberies in Central Park, police said. 

NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell told reporters: "At this point in time, we're ready to call it: This is a migrant robbery pattern." Authorities have linked 10 related robberies to a group of 12 minor illegal immigrant male suspects. Chief Chell said, "We think they're responsible for most of them if not all of them."

A law enforcement source told the NYP that police believe the violent Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang is behind the robberies. It was reported in February that this gang has been responsible for at least 62 robberies in NYC.