Riverside Park Stabbing

A Columbia freshman was stabbed in Riverside Park last night. Michael Marquez was walking through the park at 115th Street around midnight when a man jumped out of the bushes and demanded Marquez's wallet. Marquez, a track and field athlete, started to run, but the attacker grabbed his clothes and stabbed him in the back after the two scuffled. The Post reports that doctors at St. Luke's-Roosevelt said the knife "grazed his kidney." Luckily, Marquez will be all right.

Riverside Park is a truly beautiful park, but as with any park, it's not a great idea to walk in it when it's dark or late at night. Even if you think you're tough and ready for confrontation, why tempt fate - just walk along the streetlights of Riverside, or better yet, Broadway, if it's late out. The incident reminds Gothamist of Vendela Vida's book, And Now You Can Go, when a Columbia graduate student is held up by a disturbed man in Riverside Park.

Gothamist on the crime wave in Prospect Park.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on April 28, 2004 8:43 AM

Comments [rss]

mugger

hey man did you see where my nose went when you busted it off my fucking face.

Ant's Girlfriend

Marquez, we all love you and hope that any fucker that tries shit like that again thinks twice!!! PS. to all you ladies out there, this hottie Marquez is OFF THE MARKET, sorry he's mine!!

Lauren

The article forgot to mention that Marquez socked the shit out of him!!

mumbles

I work near Columbia, and this year I had to save a stupid freshman from being mugged near the front gates! There is a scam where a guy bumps into you and then he drops his glasses/bottle of expensive wine and then shouts, "You clumsy, you made me break my glasses (or expensive wine)."

Then the guy (and another guy who backs him up), starts winding a t shirt in his fist and demanding money from the patsy (anywhere from $20 to 100 bucks). Well, I saw the scam in action and shouted at the freshman "Hey, this is a scam, run! Don't even talk to these punks!" Then the big con artist starts threatening me.... and I flag down a cop, and Columbia's ineffectual security doesn't even file a report...

The Spectator usually runs a story about warning the frosh once a year on this...usually the con artist picks a drunk kid...and it gets worse when the con convinces the kid to take $ out of an ATM to cover the cost of the invaluable broken item...

Joel

So did they get his wallet? Hope not!!!

Beth M.

Aaaaack! There is no Michael Marquez. His name is Anthony! Good job, New York Post.

I think my dorm floor attracts trouble. This is the second time we've been on Gothamist this school year.

-Beth M. =