Two Manchester teens mugged within minutes

One Manchester middle-schooler lost his cell phone, another was slugged for not giving it to a bicycle-riding suspect, but they gave police a good enough description to build an artist's rendering as the search continues.

Police also released a surveillance image of the individual who they say accosted both middle schoolersWednesday at school bus stops in the township's Pine Lake section, threatening to punch one and actually hauling off on the other.

Manchester Schools Superintendent David Trethaway immediately notified parents that several school bus stops have been relocated, in an effort to isolate these incidents and prevent any more.

The first victim was at his bus top on Cumberland Boulevard. He told arriving police that the biker asked to use his cell phone. Then, after getting hold of it, he said he was taking it, and if the youth had a problem with it, he'd be punched in the face, the victim told police.

Encountering no resistance from the teen, the suspect rode off on what was described as a purple mountain bike.

Investigators later learned of a second incident shortly after, at a bus stop on Middlesex Street. The middle-schooler refused to hand over his phone and was hit with a closed fist several times, authorities said. The victim reported it when he arrived at school, and reported no injuries to police.

The suspect is described as a white male, 18 to 23 years of age, about 5'10" tall, weighing 140 to 150 pounds, with green eyes, pale skin, black hair, and black marks on the left side of his face.

He was clad in a black hooded sweatshirt, with the hood pulled over his head, a bandana to hide his face, black pajama-style pants with a red stripe and black shoes.

If the artist's rendering or the live image ring a bell, Manchester police want to hear from you. Leave an anonymous tip on the Manchester PD web site, call police dispatchers at 732-657-6111, or reach Detective Adam Emmons at 732-657-2009, extension 4203.