BRONX, NY — Police are looking for a man and a woman they say carried out a gunpoint robbery inside Claremont Park after the woman allegedly connected with the victim on social media. Investigators say the encounter turned violent Wednesday night near East 170th Street and Clay Avenue, where the pair confronted a 35-year-old man.
According to police, the victim was not injured during the incident. The man and woman then ran off with his property, leaving investigators to piece together how the meeting was arranged and how the robbery unfolded in the park.
How investigators say the meeting was arranged
Sources close to the investigation say the woman first met the victim online and persuaded him to come to the park. Police sources say the two had met in person only once before the robbery, making the social media contact a key part of the investigation.
The alleged setup took place in a public park, but the confrontation appears to have been carefully timed. Investigators say the woman and the victim were together when her alleged accomplice approached them. The man was reportedly unknown to the victim, suggesting the robbery was planned rather than a spontaneous dispute.
That sequence has become central for detectives trying to identify both suspects and determine how they coordinated the meeting. The case also highlights how online contact can be used to arrange in-person encounters that later turn criminal.
What happened at East 170th Street and Clay Avenue
Police say the robbery happened around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Claremont Park, near the intersection of East 170th Street and Clay Avenue. Investigators say the woman was with the victim when her alleged accomplice walked up to the pair.
Moments later, police say, the woman pulled out a gun and demanded the victim hand over his belongings. The armed threat turned the encounter into a robbery in a matter of seconds, according to investigators.
The location and timing placed the incident in a busy part of the Bronx during the evening hours, though police have not said whether anyone else witnessed the robbery. Detectives are working from the victim’s account and the suspects’ descriptions as they try to track down the pair.
Jewelry, wallet and about $600 taken from the victim
Police say the victim surrendered several items during the robbery, including his bracelet, necklace, watch and wallet. The wallet reportedly contained around $600 in cash, adding to the losses taken in the encounter.
After taking the property, the man and woman fled on foot. The NYPD said no injuries were reported, which means the main harm in the case was the theft itself and the fear created by the gunpoint threat.
Investigators have not said whether the weapon was recovered or whether any of the stolen items have been found. For now, the robbery remains an open case with only limited information publicly released about the suspects’ movements after they ran away.
NYPD releases image of the woman and asks for help
The NYPD released a social media image of the woman on Saturday as part of its search. In the photo, she is described as having long black hair, a black headband and a nose piercing.
A description of the man allegedly involved was not immediately available, leaving detectives with one public image and a partial suspect profile. Police have not said whether they believe the woman used a fake identity online or whether additional meetings with the victim may have happened before the robbery.
Anyone with information is being asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). Police did not provide a timeline for any arrests, and the investigation remains active.
What the case shows about online meetups and park safety
The robbery adds to a familiar pattern in which a seemingly ordinary social media conversation leads to an in-person meeting that ends badly. In this case, investigators say the woman used the online connection to bring the victim to Claremont Park, where an armed accomplice was waiting.
Because the victim had met the woman only once before, police are treating the initial online contact as an important part of the case. That detail may help detectives determine how the suspects gained the victim’s trust and whether the robbery was carefully staged from the start.
For Bronx residents, the case also underscores how quickly an evening meeting in a public park can turn dangerous. Police have not said whether any additional precautions were taken at the scene, but they continue to look for both suspects as they build the case.
