Jesse Wasseman, 18, a student at New Rochelle High School was arrested by New York Police after allegedly committed the three robberies with an accomplice in a 30 minute period around midnight on August 4th and 5th. All of the robberies occurred between 11:50 PM and 12:20 AM between 81st and 84th Streets on the park’s east side. Wasserman was charged with three counts of armed robbery. He was release on $150,000 bail and is facing up to 25 years in prison.
Police say the pair used a rubber gun to menace victims after pretending to ask for directions. Their haul included wallets, backpacks and a bike.
Wasserman, by all accounts, come from a respected Orthodox Jewish family that worships at Young Israel on North Avenue. His mother, Stacy Berrin-Wasserman, is an accomplished psychologist with a Ph.D. in neuropsychology. She is considered an expert in attention-deficit disorder.
Jesse Wasserman was sent to the Vermont Academy but reportedly kicked out last year. He was then enrolled in New Rochelle High School. According to news reports, Wasserman had previously been convicted on a charge of disorderly conduct and another unrelated charge of drug possession. At the time of his arrest in New York City there was an outstanding warrant in Westchester County for failing to pay the fines on the disorderly conduct conviction.