Fundraiser Helps Buy New Bike For Teen After Robbery

DEER PARK, NY - An online fundraiser helped raise enough money to buy a new bicycle for a Deer Park teen who was assaulted and robbed recently.

On July 27, 15-year-old Zyaire and his friends were riding their bikes to Taco Bell on Deer Park Avenue when they became surrounded by a mob of adults who demanded he give them his bike.

The group allegedly mistakenly thought the teen had stolen the bike from their friend's kid, who had his BMX bike stolen the week before.

When the teen declined to give up his bike, he was assaulted.

He was allegedly choked by one adult in the group, 36-year-old Robert Bishop, and then had his bike ripped from his hands while being called racial slurs, according to a video posted on Facebook by Zyaire's mother, Delphia Robinson.

"He the took my sons bike threw it in his car and sped off to his home thankfully one of the kids got his license plate," Robinson wrote on Facebook on July 29. "Police were able to arrest him and retrieve the bike. He was only charged with harassment because it’s not assault due to my son not having bruises."

However two days later on July 31, Bishop received upgraded charges and was arrested for second degree robbery - aided by another, according to Suffolk police records.

She says the teen had worked all summer to save up money to buy the bike but unfortunately after the incident, the chain and the pedals were stolen from Zyaire's bike. In addition, Robinson brought the receipt for the bicycle to the precinct but police could not release the item because they were missing the serial number.

Following the incident, Jocelyn Arthur started a GoFundMe campaign on Robinson's behalf to help raise money to by the teen a new bicycle.

"Zy used that bike to get back and forth to his summer job and to be a kid," she wrote on the page. "Even with showing pictures of Zy on his bike dated months ago the bike still has not been returned."

As of Thursday, the page has raised a total of $810 and is no longer accepting donations. A note from Arthur states that the teen has raised enough money to get a new bike.

According to Arthur, the funds earned on the page went directly to Robinson for a new bike for her son and any extra will go towards aide in obtaining legal counsel.

Dozens showed up at the Suffolk County Police community meeting in West Babylon last weekend support of the teen.

Some were saying that Bishop should face additional charges, expressing concern an issue of race since Bishop is white and Zyaire is black, Newsday reports.

In response during the meeting police officials said that Bishop was not charged with a hate crime charge because his allegedly did not take the bike "solely" because Zyaire is black, according to Newsday.

"Why would a grown man want to steal a bike from a child in front of dozens of people?” Bishop's lawyer Steven Politi, told Newsday.

Police confirmed that detectives recently became aware of video of the incident and the video is under review.

Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact detectives at 631-854-815

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