Teenage Girls Robbed at Knifepoint in Central Park: Police

CENTRAL PARK, NY — A man who robbed two 15-year-old girls at knifepoint in Central Park on Monday was arrested after being tracked by their stolen iPhone, police told Patch.

Mekhi Ortiz, 18, approached the two teen girls near Lasker Pool in Central Park around 6:30 p.m. Monday, police said. Ortiz then robbed the girls at knifepoint, stealing an iPhone, before fleeing on East Drive, police said.

The girls called the police, who were able to track Ortiz down using the Find My iPhone application, according to police. Ortiz was located in Tompkins Square Park in the East Village and led cops on a chase to Avenue A and East 10th Street where he was arrested, police told Patch.

Ortiz has been charged with robbery, police said.

There have been a number of recent robberies in Central Park, including one on the same day while the person was live streaming himself playing Pokémon Go. An 86-year-old man was also attacked and robbed in the Park last Friday.

Robberies were actually down 54.5 percent through Sept. 11 year-to-date from 2015, according to NYPD statistics.

Photo: Patch