Four teen girls were busted this week for allegedly pummeling a 71-year-old woman during a botched New Year’s Day robbery inside a Brooklyn subway station – as the fearless senior, who was on her way to church, fought back, cops said.
The teens – ages 13, 14 and two 15-year-olds – were nabbed on Wednesday and Thursday, each facing charges of robbery, assault and harassment in the Jan. 1 evening attack on Linda Rosa, 71, authorities said.
One of the violent 15-year-olds has a prior bust from September for allegedly pummeling a Queens cop to prevent the officer from arresting someone else, law enforcement sources said.
The others had no prior brushes with the law.
The latest crime unfolded when one of the four girls tried to grab Rosa’s purse soon after she stepped off a No. 3 train at Hoyt Street, she told The Post last week.
“And then I [said to myself], ‘Oh, no, this is not going to happen today,’” said Rosa, a retired MTA computer operation worker who lives in East New York.
Then, another teen tried to grab Rosa’s bag too and said: “Oh, you want to fight?”
A violent scuffle ensued with one of the girls punching Rosa in the face – leaving the glasses-wearing senior with a cut on her nose, the victim recounted.
Rosa grappled with the teens and ended up falling to the ground – where one of them allegedly stomped on her – but ended up getting back on her feet and grabbing two of them by the hair as she called out for help, she recalled.
She was taken to The Brooklyn Hospital Center for treatment, but said she was grateful she wasn’t hurt worse.
Meanwhile, Rosa said she forgives the teens but doesn’t think they should be exempt from consequences.
“I forgive them. They do not know what they do,” the faithful senior said last week.
“They don’t know what they did. It’s just teenagers acting foolish.”
“They don’t know the consequences of their actions until this happened, and now they have to pay for it – because we all have to pay for our choices,” she added.
“Whatever choice you make, there is a consequence.”
