Police are looking for a man captured on surveillance video sucker-punching an elderly man to the ground in a New York City park.
The attack happened at about 3 p.m. Tuesday inside Carl Schurz Park, near Park Avenue and East 90th Street, police said. A man in his 40s approached the 85-year-old victim from behind and punched him on the side of the head, causing the elderly man to fall to the ground.
The victim told NBC 4 New York on Thursday that he blacked out for a moment and when he opened his eyes, his attacker was standing over him. The attacker said nothing, then slowly backed away and took off.
The victim was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital with cuts to the back of his head and above his right eye, police said.
The suspect ran away southbound on the promenade. He was last seen wearing a black backpack, a black coat, blue jeans and a red knit cap.
"It makes me really scared. I feel really bad for the poor man who was attacked," said Hadley Sachs of the Upper East Side. "This is generally a safe neighborhood where I walk alone multiple times a day, and this is definitely frightening."
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS.
