A 12-year-old girl who was followed, punched and robbed by a teenager on a Brooklyn street on Monday told NBC 4 New York that she tried to fight off her assailant but is now scared to go outside alone.
Keiri Quintero said that she punched and kicked the robber who followed her out of a Coney Island grocery store and grabbed her by the neck and dragged her into an alley off Stillwell Avenue. But she said she said neighbors heard her cries for help, and good Samaritans rushed to her aid after the robber stole cilantro, a cupcake and $3 cash.
Quintero, who was off of school that day because of a doctor's visit and had gone to the grocery store to pick up some things. When she left, the suspect thought to be about 15 years old, asked her if she was cold. When she said "no," Quintero said that the suspect replied "are you serious, you're not cold?"
She said that she and the robber waited at the corner for a few minutes, the suspect looking up at the sky. She told NBC 4 New York that when she crossed the street, the suspect followed her. So, she ducked out into the road to try to avoid him. Surveillance footage from a neighbor shows her walking in the road alongside a person matching the suspect's description.
But when she cut back onto the sidewalk, the man grabbed her.
She said she punched him in the stomach, and the robber tossed her to the ground. She kicked him, and the man slugged her on the side of her face. She said he then told her to give him everything she had, so she handed over her groceries and the cash she had.
"I was thinking, 'Why does he need cilantro?'" she said.
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She said she yelled for help and the teen took off his jacket and she told him to leave her alone. She said a couple came up and, the suspect ran off. That's when a man and woman came to her aid.
Quintero didn't suffer any lasting injuries but is now fearful every time she has to leave the house.
"I'm scared to go outside by myself," she said.
The suspect was last seen wearing black clothes and a black book bag with a colorful pattern, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).
