Tropicana Atlantic City Teen Muggers Busted

Last Friday, a man was walking outside the Tropicana Atlantic City, when he was approached from behind by a group of five teenagers. None of them were older than 15, police would soon establish.

Perpetrators Do Not Get Away with It

In the moment, one of the boys pulled out a large knife and put it against the man’s back ordering him to halt and to turn over his possessions to the group, the Atlantic City Police Department reported.

The department withheld details as to who the victim was, whether he suffered any injuries, and what was stolen from him.  However, the muggers were soon identified as a joint effort by the police and the Tropicana security staff was mounted within the hour.

CCTV footage was scooped with the robbery taking place at 8 pm and dispatching police officers after the suspects soon after. Surveillance cameras proved crucial in helping identify the young perpetrators. Each of the five suspects was rounded up surprisingly easily, as they did not loiter too far from the casino either.

According to the police reports, officers William Harned and Julian Monsalve were the first to spot three of the suspects bundled in a group. Pursuit ensued and the boys eventually surrendered to the officers and were taken into custody. This happened on South Texas Avenue.

Another perpetrator was found near Atlantic Avenue, with a fifth one on Arctic Avenue – both were apprehended successfully after a short pursuit. The perps reportedly tried to hide evidence by discarding a bag, which was seized by the police to find the weapon – the large knife – used in the crime inside.

Throw the Book at Them

The teenagers face a litany of charges, the police said. They were arrested for unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, simple assault, terroristic threats, theft, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy.

One of the perpetrators was 15 – the rest were 14. They will now face sentencing in the New Jersey juvenile courts. No further details about the perpetrators were available as they were too young to be floated to the media or the public.

Atlantic City remains one of the hottest cities for crime in the United States. The crime rate is estimated at 97 per thousand residents, surpassing the national average by 318%.

Casinos shoulder at least part of the blame, according to a report by the Office of Justice Programs released several decades ago, but these claims have largely come to be challenged by new casino developments in other states.