Bicyclist fights off trio with Stanley cup during robbery attempt in Central Park

NEW YORK -- A woman is speaking out after she says she fought off three men who attempted to rob her while she was riding her bicycle in New York City's Central Park on Sunday night.

Katherine Marroquin said she was biking in the park when the men confronted her and struck her in the head. Police said it happened near West 93rd Street and West Drive.

Marroquin said she believes the suspects were targeting valuables.

"I think they were trying to like, steal phones, maybe and they just saw me, saw the bike. They were like, 'oh, money,'" she said.

Marroquin said she purchased the bicycle last year for her commute between the Bronx and Manhattan and believed biking would be safer than taking the subway.

She said the encounter happened in a dark area and that the men appeared suddenly.

"It's just... they were hiding somewhere, like it was really dark and they waited for me to lean down and wait. And then they appeared," Marroquin said.

According to Marroquin, the three men emerged from behind bushes along the running track near the reservoir in Central Park, shortly before 10 p.m.

The 32-year-old building maintenance worker said she had stopped after dropping her AirPods.

"I ride bike. I heard my AirPods, but there was nobody in front. Nobody in front. It was empty. I went and reached, but when I went back to get up, that's when they hit me," she said.

Marroquin said three men surrounded her and began going through her belongings.

"There were three guys. The two guys grabbed my book bag, and he started emptying my book bag right in front of me. So when he empty my book bag, I think he didn't notice that my Stanley cup was there and he threw it right in front of me," she said.

Marroquin said she grabbed the stainless steel tumbler from the ground and used it to defend herself.

"The first thing I know was like, is it my life or them... it's three people by myself. I got to defend myself. I didn't think about money or anything. I thought about my life and seeing my mom again. So, I grabbed the cup and I hit one of the guys in the head. So that's why they ran, and they left me alone," Marroquin said.

She said her book bag and helmet absorbed much of the attack.

Reflecting on the confrontation, Marroquin said she was determined not to surrender what she had worked for.

"I was always a fighter since I was little, you know? So I feel like it's unfair for people to come in and think that they could take whatever you work for. You know, I feel like it's not fair," she said.

On Tuesday, the NYPD released surveillance images of the three individuals that are wanted in connection to the robbery.

One male is described as last seen wearing a black-hooded sweatshirt, light-colored pants, black sneakers and a black face mask. A second male is described as last seen wearing a black jacket, gray sweatpants, black sneakers and a red face mask. A third male is described as last seen wearing a black jacket, black pants, black and white sneakers and a camouflage face mask.

No arrests have been made so far.