A stranger snatched a cell phone from a woman visiting Central Park and chucked it into Swan Lake in a bizarre unprovoked act of aggression, police said Tuesday.
The incident comes as cops continue to tackle a major uptick of muggings in Central Park — including three violent robberies within a 27-hour span.
The 35-year-old victim was in the park walking past the lake when the man stormed up to her about 11:30 a.m. Monday, grabbed her phone and threw it in the lake, witnesses told police.
The assailant ran off but responding cops found him in the park and took him into custody.
Fontaine Moise, 42, was charged with criminal mischief and ordered released without bail during his arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court, according to court records.
The NYPD upped patrols in the park over the weekend in response to recent robberies that have left parkgoers wary.
“It’s a little unnerving,” Upper West Side resident Deborah Moralez said about the jump in robberies as she entered the park at 97th St. Saturday afternoon. “I’m a little blown away by it actually.”
Cops have seen a fivefold jump in robberies in Central Park, with 15 incidents so far this year through April 21 compared to three during the same period last year.