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Central Park Robbery Spree Suspect Out On $150,000 Bail
By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 7, 2010
Modified Aug 7, 2010
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By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 7, 2010
Modified Aug 7, 2010
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Jesse Wasserman, the privileged Westchester teen suspected of robbing three men in Central Park, charged with three counts of armed robbery and released on $150,000 bail yesterday. A prosecutor said that Wasserman, 17, was found riding a bicycle belonging to one victim and had a ring and ID from another victim in his pocket.
Wasserman faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted; an accomplice, whom Wasserman did not name, allegedly showed a rubber gun during the robberies. When his mother, an expert in attention deficit disorder, told the Daily News, "We're going through tremendous hardship," Wasserman reportedly "shushed" her. But a neighbor of Wasserman's in New Rochelle (the family lives in a $1.75 million house) said, "Why is he out robbing people when he has a nice life?...He's the black sheep of the family. They're a good Jewish family and he's bringing shame to them. He acted like a schmuck."
Another friend reiterated the claims that Wasserman was a wannabe tough guy, "He thinks he's from the streets, but he's this rich kid whose family buys him whatever he wants... He acts like a gangster and he doesn't want people to know who he really is." His lawyer said that his family members "stand by him, and look forward to a time in the near future when he moves on to better things."
Tagged
central park
crime
jesse wasserman
new rochelle
robbery
robbery spree
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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