Police

Cops: Hispanic man mugged near railroad tracks in Riverhead

Just over a week after a man was mugged at knifepoint near a home in downtown Riverhead, another man was reportedly struck in the head and robbed by a trio of men early Wednesday, according to the Riverhead Town police. 

The robbery is the latest in a string of attacks and muggings in the downtown area reported by police. Like a majority of victims in the other robberies this year, the victim in Wednesday’s robbery was Hispanic, police said.

It is not immediately clear whether this robbery is related to the other muggings.

Police said the victim was near Union Avenue about 3:30 a.m. when he was approached by three men he didn’t recognize. One of the men hit the victim on the left side of his head with an “unknown object,” knocking him down, according to a police statement. The other two men rifled through the victim’s pockets and took an undisclosed amount of cash, police said.

Riverhead ambulance volunteers took the victim to Peconic Bay Medical Center to be treated for his injuries, police said. No arrests have been made yet in connection with the robbery.

Last Monday, a separate victim was exiting his vehicle on Third Street about 10:10 p.m. when he was robbed by three men he didn’t recognize wearing masks and dark clothing who demanded cash and his cell phone, police said. The alleged muggers ran off down the railroad tracks and were not located by police.

Last month, a man was reportedly robbed near the Riverhead train station, but didn’t press charges against the muggers after they returned the money they allegedly stole, police said at the time.

Earlier this year, town leaders discussed reviving an anti-bias task force to promote “tolerance and understanding,” as well as a police effort between local departments to combat safety and quality of life issues.

Ten separate robberies or assaults have occurred in the downtown area in 2014. Nearly all of the incidents have occurred at night and Hispanic men have been victims in more than half of them.

A homeless man had previously pleaded guilty to beating a man during one such robbery in January, and now faces robbery charges for allegedly assaulting a disabled man during a robbery in the same area, court records show. That robbery took place little over a week after the homeless man was released from jail.

Police have asked with information on Monday’s robbery to call the Riverhead Town police tip line at 631-727-4500 Ext. 633. All calls will be kept confidential.