They stole his phone after he let them borrow it, and then they ambushed him when he tried to get it back.
Two teenagers are now behind bars on high bail for allegedly mugging a man and threatening him with a knife in Ridgewood last week, law enforcement sources said.
According to the Queens District Attorney’s office, 18-year-old Angel Copantilta of Brooklyn and 16-year-old Izaiah Ortiz of Queens, along with a third unidentified suspect, allegedly approached the victim in the vicinity of Putnam Avenue near Wyckoff Avenue at 3 a.m. on Feb. 22.
Law enforcement sources said the unidentified man asked the victim to use his cellphone. The victim complied and handed it over to Copantilta, who then allegedly took off on foot with the unidentified man.
According to prosecutors, Ortiz allegedly told the victim to follow him to get his phone back. They then headed over to Rosemary’s Playground, located at Woodbine Street and Woodward Avenue, where Copantilta and the unidentified suspect — along with Ortiz — allegedly went on the attack. They punched the man in the face, causing lacerations and pain.
Police said Copantilta removed the victim’s wallet and a pocket knife from his pockets, then pointed the pocket knife at the victim and demanded the password to his cellphone and the PIN to the debit card in his wallet.
After the victim complied, according to the criminal complaint, the suspects also took the victim’s shoes, jacket and sweater, then fled from the scene. The incident was later reported to the 104th Precinct.
Through an investigation, members of the 104th Precinct Detective Squad obtained video footage which showed Copantilta allegedly using the victim’s debit card to make a $100 withdrawal from an ATM at a store located at 66-94 Forest Ave. at 4:18 a.m. on Feb. 22.
Two days after the mugging, detectives tracked down Copantilta and Ortiz and booked each of them on charges including first- and second-degree robbery, second- and fourth-degree grand larceny and second-degree assault. They were each ordered held on $100,000 bail at arraignment and are due back in court on March 13, according to court records.
