Wyandanch mom fights for justice for son who was robbed

Delphia Robinson says her son Zaire was robbed and assaulted last weekend.

News 12 Staff

Aug 2, 2019, 2:23 AM

Updated 1,727 days ago

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A Wyandanch mother is fighting for justice for her 15-year-old son who she says was robbed and assaulted last weekend.

Delphia Robinson says video shows an adult man robbing her son Zaire of his bicycle in Deer Park. Robinson says the man assaulted her son as he violently pried the bike from Zaire.

Robinson says patrol officers only charged the suspect, 36-year-old Robert Bishop, with harassment. She says that's not enough.

"I want him fully charged with every crime that he committed," says Robinson. "I do believe that he assaulted my son even though I was told there are no physical bruises on him so he can't be charged with assault. But he put his hands on a minor, he's 15 and you can't go around putting your hands on somebody else's children, let alone a minor."

Police have since charged Bishop with robbery, which is a felony.

However, Robinson and some members of the community say Bishop should be charged with a hate crime because Bishop, who is white, targeted a black teenager.

"I believe there are witness statements that need to be taken that will show that there were racial slurs spewed by this adult in the middle of the crime and if that is the case, it is a bias crime," says Tracy Edwards, of the NAACP.

Suffolk Police Inspector Kevin Kane says the bike wasn't stolen because of someone's race or ethnicity or sexual orientation. He says it was all about the bicycle.

Robinson says she will continue to fight for more charges against Bishop.

Inspector Kane says the investigation is ongoing.
 


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