NEW YORK — Authorities are searching for the alleged attacker of an elderly woman who was beaten and robbed when she returned home after attending Christmas Eve mass and seeing the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
The 68-year-old woman exclusively told our sister network NBC New York that she was assaulted by a stranger who ripped her backpack off her shoulder and threw it to the ground at Boyton and Westchester avenues in the Soundview neighborhood.
“I felt a strong pull, as if they were grabbing my backpack. Automatic reaction, I just grabbed it,” said the victim, who did not want to be identified. “So I guess she realized that this little old lady was fighting back. And she just pushed me to the ground. And she just grabbed me by the backpack and ran.”
The victim said she had just gone to church and saw the tree at Rockefeller Center, then took the train back to the Bronx, where the suspect followed her and robbed her. The suspect took her purse which had two cell phones, a debit card and $400, according to police. She then fled down Westchester Avenue toward Elder Avenue.
“I felt panic, shock, it was just terrifying. Really scary,” he added to News 4.
While she refused medical attention at the scene, the woman said the attack left her with excruciating headaches, shoulder pain and a broken finger. She also can’t understand why they would attack her, especially at her age.
“Young people are supposed to respect the elders. Take care of us. He should protect me on the way home, not steal from me,” he said.
She described her attacker as being at least six feet tall and of thin build. But instead of getting angry, the woman said she is praying for the man.
“I pray for him. I have a group praying for him. So that he doesn’t hurt anyone again,” she said.
There is a reward leading to an arrest for the incident, and those with information can remain anonymous.
If you have information you can confidentially call the authorities at 1-888-57-PISTA.
2024-01-17 22:43:16
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