Texas tourist headlocked and robbed at knifepoint in NYC

A Texas tourist visiting Manhattan was held in a headlock and robbed at knife-point in Midtown Manhattan on Sunday morning, authorities said. 

The woman and her cousin from Brooklyn were at West 45th Street and 11th Avenue at around 12:30 a.m. when two male suspects approached them and violently asked for their belongings, they told The New York Post. 

“It was dark. We were looking for a bathroom,” said Aakriti Bagchi, 20, adding that they were having a fun night out before the incident. 

“We are two women. We don’t look intimidating,” Bagchi said in a phone interview. “We were walking toward the Intrepid when we were approached by two men. One had a knife and he put me in a headlock and asked for my wallet.” 

The thieves took their bags, wallets, and the cellphone of one of the victims. Neither of the women was hurt, police said. 

Police are looking for the two suspects, one of which was described as a Hispanic male wearing a black hat, black jacket, white shirt, and black pants, authorities said. There is no description of the second suspect.

The purse was found later but was empty. 

“I lived here for four years,” Bagchi said. “I still feel safe but I won’t put myself in that situation again. Next time I’ll Uber when I have to use the bathroom. It’s a cautionary tale.”

Crime in New York City, including robberies, burglaries, felony assault, and grand larceny has increased by almost 22% since 2021.