Police are looking for a moped rider who ripped the chain off the neck of a 5-year-old in the Bronx over the weekend.
According to investigators, the boy was playing with his brother and other kids on the sidewalk of Marion Avenue near 193rd Street Saturday afternoon when the moped rider pulled up and made his move. He grabbed the chain from the boy's neck and drove off, heading north.
Surveillance video obtained by NBC New York showed the scooter rider inch closer to the children, zeroing in on the young boy before snatching the necklace with such force, it lifted him off the ground.
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WATCH HEREThe little boy was treated at the scene for redness and swelling to the neck, suffering some bruises as a result of the incident. The child's father, who asked not to be identified, said he was outside with his son and stepped away for just a moment to grab a toy. That's when the suspect pounced.
"No child with their innocence should have to worry about walking with their parents or on the street," the father said. "My son is shaken."
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SIGN UP When his sons told him what happened, the father took off chasing after the scooter. He said the man who took off with the necklace worse a mask and had a distinct jacket, saying it had a "distinctive white pattern of white stripes," mainly on the shoulder.
The victim's older sister said her brother was standing right next to his 8-year-old brother when he was robbed. The dad said the necklace had a special meaning for the family.
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"It was a religious symbol. It wasn’t just a regular necklace with his name, it was part of our identity. Who we are as a people, as a culture," the father said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
