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The victim told police he was walking home at 9:45 p.m. Sunday when the robbers set upon him on Knapp Avenue.
One knocked him down with a punch in the face before the crew made off with his belongings, Lt. Robert Bracken said.
Patrol officers and detectives flooded the area, seeking witnesses, surveillance video and other evidence -- and produced a solid lead, Bracken said.
Soon after, city detectives were watching a stretch of Main Avenue in Passaic when their suspects turned up at a McDonalds on Central Avenue, the lietuenant said.
"We were assisted with the arrests by Passaic police," he said.
Juan Cleto-Diaz, 18, of Passaic was charged with robbery and criminal mischief, while a 16-year-old boy was issued a delinquency complaint accusing him of the same crimes, the lieutenant said.
The teen was taken to the Essex County Juvenile Detention Center and Cleto-Diaz to the Passaic County Jail, both pending detention hearings.
The injured victim sought medical attention on his own, Bracken said.
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