Cyclist Fights Off Central Park Muggers With Water Bottle

A masked trio attacked and robbed a female cyclist in Central Park on Sunday night, striking her repeatedly and stealing her backpack before fleeing. The victim, Katherine Marroquin, 32, of the Bronx, was biking home from her job as a maintenance worker when the incident occurred around 9:45 p.m. near East 90th Street and the East Drive.

Marroquin had stopped to retrieve dropped items when the three masked assailants approached her, demanded her belongings, and began hitting her. She told police that the attackers stole her phone, tossing it into a nearby lake, and then grabbed her backpack, searching through her belongings while continuing to assault her.

During the struggle, Marroquin’s metal water tumbler fell from her bag. She then used the tumbler to defend herself, striking at her attackers. The assailants, described by police as being in their early twenties, fled on foot toward Fifth Avenue shortly after the struggle. They had not been apprehended as of Monday.

Marroquin lost her phone, an $80 wallet containing credit cards, and Beats headphones. Despite the ordeal, she believes the use of her water bottle prevented the assailants from taking everything. She sustained bruises and soreness but declined medical attention from officers who arrived at the scene, opting instead to go home to her worried mother.

Marroquin stated that she has been cycling to work for the past year to avoid public transportation, which she perceives as unsafe. She returned to work on Monday, despite her injuries, and expressed a belief that the city needs stricter consequences for criminals. She added that Central Park, which she previously considered a safe space, must be protected.