Old friend not friend anymore after park trip

A 24-year-old man apparently had ulterior motives for his friendship with a much older gentleman, or at least that’s what cops think after claims the younger suspect attacked and robbed him last week. 

The victim, 66, was apparently at the playground in front of the Mosholu Golf Course on 3545 Jerome Ave., Saturday night, when police say the man punched him in the face and stole $40 in cash before running away. 

Police aren’t sure why the pair was in the playground so late at night, but they did say the victim knows exactly who his now-former friend is. 

That said, cops have yet to make any arrests. 

Cabbie assaulted on Broadway

A cabbie usually stationed at West 242nd Street and Broadway probably should’ve just stayed home and worked on his Robert De Niro impressions last week. 

Instead, on Sept. 25 at just after 1 a.m., police said he became part of a borough-wide robbery pattern when he picked up a fare who needed a ride to Yonkers. The man, described as about 6 feet tall and weighing 230 pounds with a long ponytail, told the 53-year-old driver he was in a hurry. 

But not long after the cabbie started driving, police said his customer put him in a headlock and pointed a gun at his neck demanding he pull over. 

The cabbie managed to get free from his attacker’s grasp, cops said, before the suspect ran off into Van Cortlandt Park empty-handed.

After fill-up, car turns up missing

One car thief in the 50th Precinct seems to have come up with a new way to spend even less money on their new cars: Make sure the tank is full. 

That’s what happened to a man at the Gulf gas station at 70 Major Deegan Expressway on Sept. 26, according to police. 

The victim had apparently gone into the convenience store to pay for his gas, according to a report. By the time he came back, someone already had made off with his 2014 Chevrolet. 

Although police have closed the investigation on the case, they still are on the lookout for the vehicle.