Nabbed last week were Yovanni Rivera, 17, who had been living in an empty building in Corona, and Marcos Polanco, 17, who had been living on the streets of Corona for two weeks. They allegedly acted together in nine of the muggings. Rivera was also charged with the robbery and murder of Carlos Flores in the park and leaving his body floating in a pond.
   Police said that Rivera confessed to the Dec. 5 killing of Flores, 40, of Ridgewood, after he fought back. He allegedly used a machete to kill Flores and left with about $20 and the victim’s MetroCard. The machete was recovered when Rivera was arrested.
   The last victim, Jae Woo Park, 36, of Little Neck, was robbed and assaulted on Christmas evening as he was jogging near the Unisphere. The graduate student remains unconscious at Elmhurst Hospital Center.
   The robberies began Nov. 22 and involved only one woman, who was not assaulted. The crimes occurred in the vicinity of the Unisphere in the early evening hours.
   Police said the two teens admitted pulling off the robberies so they would have money for food. Officials report that the two muggers, aside from robbing Park, stole the keys to his 2007 Honda, sold the seats and radio and then set the car on fire. Rivera suffered facial burns in the torching.
   Park, a native of Korea, was studying engineering and was working on his dissertation. His wife and young daughter were on vacation in Korea when the attack occurred. It wasn’t until police connected the burned out van to him that he was identified.
   Police were able to identify the suspects through activity on a stolen credit card.
   Rivera, who had the nickname NyQuil because of his ability to knock out a person with one punch, was charged with murder, arson, attempted murder, assault and robbery. Polanco was similarly charged except for the murder. Both are being held without bail.
   Rivera faces up to 25 years to life in prison on the murder charge; he and Polanco each face a 25 year sentence on the other charges.
   A third teenager, a friend of Rivera and Polanco’s, was arrested later and confessed to committing four additional robberies prior to Nov. 22. Herman Gonzalez, 19, of Elmhurst, was charged with robbery and assault involving a Nov. 20 mugging of a Chinese food deliveryman outside the park at 55th Avenue and 111th Street.
   Gonzalez has not been charged with additional crimes yet and has implicated a fourth, unnamed man in the attacks. The investigation is ongoing.
   District Attorney Richard Brown said that residents should never have to fear entering a park and that he will vigorously prosecute the cases to the fullest extent of the law.
   Pat Dolan, president of the Flushing Meadows Corona Park Conservancy, is relieved that police put an end to the crime spree. She noted that it is not sensible to go into a park alone at certain times, there are never enough police officers in a big park like Flushing Meadows and that people have to be careful.
   Another park advocate was less diplomatic. “This is an outrage, another travesty to the park,” said David Oats, president of the Flushing Meadows Corona Park World’s Fair Association.
   He believes that had a single, similar robbery taken place in Central Park, the police would have been on top of it. “It took the police too long to notice a crime pattern. Flushing Meadows is not treated with the respect and stature of other parks. It’s inexcusable.”
   Oats also blames Parks Department officials for not pressuring police once the attacks began and demanding more surveillance. A Parks Department spokeswoman said her agency was cooperating with police.
   Tuesday morning was cold and crisp near the Unisphere. A Queens North Task Force police bus was parked nearby and patrol cars circled periodically. There were few visitors to the site, most likely because of the time of day and temperature.
   Eva and Hendrik Dabrowska, of Woodside, come to the park twice a week to walk their terrier, Macieu. “When we heard about the robberies, we stayed away about a week,” Eva Dabrowska said. “We were scared, but came back because there are a lot of police around.”
   Mona Chopra, of Brooklyn, works at the nearby Queens Museum of Art once a week and had not heard about the robberies and was concerned. “I walk through the park regularly and feel safe,” she said.
   A Manhattan couple, who had come to visit the museum, which is closed on Tuesday, was shocked to learn about the crimes. “Thanks for telling us,” the man said as they hurriedly walked off.