Three teens are charged with robbery and assault after an altercation in Moody Park in which five other youth were beaten up and pepper sprayed.

The three suspects, known to police, stole one victim's backpack containing a laptop computer and a Sony Playstation console.

The incident occurred last week when the five were walking through the park on their way to a friends around 11:15 p.m. They spotted three drunk teens and tried to evade them.

When the suspects tried to prompt a fight, the other youth tried to run off but were caught. Three victims were punched in the head and all five were doused with pepper spray.

Once they escaped, the victims phoned New Westminster police and were also treated by paramedics for their injuries.

Const. Camille Oliveira, one of the officers responding, was able to track down the suspects and arrested them last Thursday at their school.

After being charged and released, conditions were imposed on them that they not have contact with each other or the victims, report to a probation officer and not use drugs or alcohol.

Teenagers need to "target harden" themselves against crime," said Sgt. Gary Weishaar with the New Westminster Police Service. And walking through a park close to midnight is not a good way to prevent crime.

"It's a shame that we can't walk through our parks because of people like this but that's the way things are," said Weishaar.

• Police nabbed a suspected break and enter thief red-handed on Monday. NWPS responded to a call of glass broken at a small business in the 600-block of Sixth Avenue at 6 a.m. and found a 27-year-old man inside. Dressed in black, he was carrying a black bag stuffed with 35 packs of cigarettes from the store. The man of no fixed address is charged with break and enter and theft.

mmcquillan@newwestnewsleader.com