Police in the Bronx are asking for the public's help after an elderly man was violently attacked on the street in broad view of a residential block. Investigators have released new images of the person accused of assaulting the man in the Mott Haven section of the borough, hoping someone will recognize the suspect and come forward.
The attack happened on East 149th Street, on the stretch between Concord and Wales Avenue. According to police, what began as an exchange of words at that spot quickly turned violent, escalating in moments from a verbal confrontation into a physical assault.
The violence unfolded in front of 764A East 149th Street on Tuesday, just after 7 at night. Police say the attacker threw the victim onto the concrete, leaving the older man laid out on the ground with several injuries in the middle of the neighborhood.
The victim was 81 years old. He suffered a bruise on his head and several scratches on his elbow, and he was also left with hip pain after being thrown down, injuries serious enough that he needed to be taken for medical care.
He was rushed to the hospital following the attack. Despite the assault on someone of his age, officials say the man is luckily expected to be okay, a reassuring outcome after an incident that could have been far worse.
The person responsible, however, is still being sought. The aggressor took off running from the scene, police say, and remains out there, which is why investigators are circulating the images and appealing to anyone who might be able to identify the suspect.
The attack has unsettled people who live in the area. One longtime resident, who has called the neighborhood home for more than 30 years, said she is now afraid even to walk with her grandmother and would love to move away, adding that her worry comes as assault crimes have been reported rising this year. Anyone who recognizes the person shown in the images is asked to contact police in Mott Haven.