A 98-year-old man beloved by his Brooklyn neighbors was punched and beaten with a broomstick and a metal chair by a woman during an attack fueled by an argument over a political flyer, police said Friday.
The attack comes as the NYPD investigates a troubling string of chilling assaults against older New Yorkers. Cops have released a video of the woman in the hopes someone recognizes her.
The senior citizen had just entered his building near the corner of Maple St. and Rogers Ave. in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens just before 4 p.m. Thursday when he got into an argument with a woman stuffing political flyers into residential mailboxes, police said. Building residents said it was a re-election flyer for New York State Committee Member Anthony Beckford for the June 23 primary.
The building has a strict “no flyers, no posters,” rule, according to a sign attached to the front door.
Rebecca White / New York Daily News
The senior citizen had just entered his building, left, in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens when he got into an argument with a woman stuffing political flyers, right, into mailboxes, police said. (Rebecca White / New York Daily News)
As they yelled at each other, the woman punched the elderly man in the back of the head, then beat the senior with a broomstick and a metal chair, cops said.
She then ran east on Maple St., cops said. The woman was last seen wearing a dark blue jacket, grey sweatpants, and was sporting a backpack.
The senior suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
“The man is my husband. He’s shaken up,” said the the victim’s wife, who declined to give her name. “The police was here. The situation is being handled by them.”
“He’s shaken up,” the woman said. “He’s an elderly man. It’s just that he’s been assaulted.”
Cops recovered doorbell camera footage of the woman stuffing fliers in mailboxes before the attack. Detectives released the footage on Friday, hoping someone recognizes her.
Beckford said that he was “currently reviewing the situation to better understand the full circumstances.” He said he reached out to the victimized senior to “ensure he is doing well and has the support he needs.”
“While volunteers may operate independently, anyone associated with my campaign is expected to conduct themselves with respect and professionalism at all times, and if it is determined that an individual connected to my campaign acted inappropriately, appropriate actions will be taken,” Beckford added. “We will continue to monitor this matter closely.”
Neighbors described the 98-year-old victim as a well-known figure in the community who could always be found sweeping outside his building and offering to help residents on the block.
“He’s always on the lookout to make sure everybody’s safe,” said one neighbor, who wished not to be named. “He’s a real sweetheart.”
Despite he’s advanced years, he was full of energy and strong, said neighbors, who couldn’t fathom why someone would want to hurt him.
“(He’s) a really cool community dad,” neighbor Angela Williams, 60, told the Daily News. “I can’t understand (the assault). He doesn’t bother anyone. Why would you beat up someone just for telling you not to leave flyers?”
The attack comes amid a string of assaults against older New Yorkers.
On Monday outside of Union Square Park, cops arrested 29-year-old Paris Valentine, who was accused of shoving an 85-year-old woman face first into the ground in an unprovoked attack. The senior suffered a serious brain injury and was put into an induced coma after surgery. Her family says even if she survives, she may never fully recover .
A day earlier, in Brooklyn, an 83-year-old woman was slashed in the neck on her way to church after politely greeting a homeless man who attacked her without warning. Betty Ellerbe was waiting for an Uber about 11:25 a.m. Sunday when her attacker rounded the corner of her Brownsville apartment building located near Glenmore and Christopher Aves.
Just last month, a homeless man who had just been released from Bellevue Hospital’s psychiatric ward the same day fatally shoved 76-year-old retired kindergarten teacher Ross Falzone down a flight of stairs at a Chelsea subway station in a random attack. Cops nabbed suspect Rhamell Burke, 32, the next day.
And about 11:30 a.m. March 8, 83-year-old Air Force veteran Richard Williams was waiting on the downtown platform for the F and Q trains at the Lexington Ave.-63rd St. station when he was shoved onto the tracks. Moments before, the assailant had pushed a 30-year-old man standing next to Williams onto the tracks as well without saying a word, cops said. Williams died of his injuries less than two weeks later.
Back in February, just two blocks from where Monday’s victim was attacked, an 88-year-old woman was shoved to the ground and robbed of her cane, cops said. The woman was shoved onto the pavement outside the Target store on Union Square East at E. 14th St.
Anyone with information regarding the suspect in Thursday’s attack is urged to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.”
