Police in Newark, New Jersey are searching for two men who brutally beat a disabled father over a parking space, an attack that was captured in clear images on security cameras. Investigators have reviewed the footage and are asking anyone who might recognize the two attackers to come forward.
The victim is 43-year-old Henry Fonseca, a father who is disabled and who gets up before dawn to work an overnight warehouse job to provide for his family. He had brought his family to the United States from Venezuela in the wake of political unrest, seeking a better life for his children.
The attack happened on Monday, August 10th, at around 1:30 in the morning. Fonseca was trying to leave home to get to work, but two cars were double-parked, blocking him in. He said he honked his horn for a while and then called police to have the vehicles removed so he could leave.
While he was still on the phone with police, the two men physically attacked him. In the video, one man is seen punching him from behind while the other strikes him in the face. Fonseca clung to his phone throughout, telling the police on the line what was happening as it unfolded.
The beating was relentless. Fonseca said he was pushed to the ground and struck on the head and other parts of his body, including his back and chest, while being pinned against his own vehicle. His wife intervened to try to help him and was also struck during the attack.
Fonseca said he sustained head injuries and lacerations to his face and nose, and that his fingers were fractured. He has not been able to return to work, remaining covered in bruises with his hand and arm still wrapped, and he expects he will likely need surgery on his hand.
Newark police have pulled screenshots from the surveillance video of the two men they are looking for and are urging anyone who recognizes them to call 911. Despite the assault, Fonseca said he wants his children to appreciate the life they have come for, adding that he knows not everyone is like the people who attacked him.