Scary Robberies at Stamford Mall

2nd teen in a week robbed at knifepoint near mall
By Zach Lowe Staff Writer March 14, 2008

STAMFORD - Four suspects robbed a city teen at knifepoint Wednesday night in a glass enclosure that leads to the Stamford Town Center parking garage, authorities said.

It was the second knifepoint robbery at the mall in the past week. On Sunday, an unknown assailant stabbed a 17-year-old city boy in the shoulder during a robbery in a men's bathroom on the mall's fifth floor, police said.

No arrests have been made in that case. Police arrested one suspect in Wednesday's robbery after a brawl that left one officer with a broken ankle and another with a torn hamstring, said Lt. Sean Cooney, a department spokesman.

The other three suspects remain at large.

Police were looking into whether the two robberies are linked, said Sgt. Paul Guzda, a supervisor in the detective bureau. They are reviewing surveillance video from both crime scenes, he said.

The victim Wednesday was listening to his iPod when the four men approached him in the glass enclosure off Veterans Park on Atlantic Street, next to the mall, Guzda said.

One suspect held a knife to the victim's throat as the others swiped his iPod and took a small amount of cash from his backpack, Guzda said.

The victim, 16, ran to a Dunkin' Donuts and called police with a customer's cell phone, Guzda said.

Patrol officers spotted the four suspects near Columbus Park, Guzda said.

The suspects fled, and two officers chased a 17-year-old down Atlantic Street and caught him near Bank Street, police said.

The suspect, whom police did not identify because he is under 18, resisted arrest and punched the officers before they tackled him, Cooney said.

One officer's ankle got caught between a concrete planter and a post that holds up an awning for the Safavieh home furnishing store at 230 Atlantic St., Cooney said. The officer broke his ankle and was treated at Stamford Hospital, he said.

Officers stunned the suspect with a Taser at least twice to subdue him, police said. He was charged with first-degree robbery, conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery, two counts of assaulting a police officer and interfering with police.

He was being held on $300,000 bond and was scheduled to appear March 27 at state Superior Court in Stamford, police said.

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