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That man was approached by the trio at the Grove Street station on March 6, Port Authority Public Information Officer Lenis Valens said.
“They asked if he was willing to donate to their football team,” she said.
When he told them he had no cash, they said he could do it through Venmo or Zelle, so he handed the phone over looking to make a $5 donation, Valens said.
The teens, in turn, told him the account was wrong and said they needed him to give back the phone so they could correct the problem.
He refused, she said, so one of them grabbed the phone and they all ran toward the exit.
The victim chased and caught up to one of them -- and ended up injuring his shoulder before all three were gone, Valens said. He was treated at Jersey City Medical Center, she said.
Two days later, Jersey City detectives investigated a knifepoint robbery on River Drive South near the Newport station.
This time, the robbers used the victim’s Zelle account to steal $2,000, Valens said.
City and Port Authority police worked together to identify and seize 18-year-old Shawn Nasir Mohammed and his two alleged underage accomplices, she said.
“These type of cases are appearing in the regional area with other police departments reporting similar occurrences,” Port Authority Police Supt. Edward Cetnar said.
The robbers have “no regard for people trying to be kind by making a donation,” the superintendent said.
Mohammed is facing criminal charges and the other two delinquency complaints for crimes ranging from robbery and theft by extortion to weapons possession from both Port Authority and Jersey City police.
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