A man from West Africa said he lost more than $190,000 he was planning to use to open a restaurant when muggers attacked him in a New York City apartment stairwell.
Abdul Bah, 46, told News 4 New York he was leaving the walk-up in Claremont Village in the Bronx on Nov. 7 with a bag full of cash when the two muggers struck. He did his best to hold onto the money -- which he sold his property in his home country of Guinea to get -- but couldn't hold on.
"Without the money, it's going to be hard to pay everything for the restaurant," he said.
Surveillance footage from the attack shows one of the two attackers passing the man as if he were going up the stairs as the other hangs back at the bottom of the landing. Then, one of the men yanks Bah's arm and pulls him up the stairs.
The other attacker then runs after their mark and grabs him by the neck, pulling Bah back down the stairs. The three men all then tussle over a book bag containing the gargantuan sum before one of the muggers pulls it from the 46-year-old's grasp.
That man then takes off running out the front door as the other mugger holds Bah in a headlock. After a few seconds, the second mugger can be seen running away.
Bah was not seriously injured in the attack, according to police.
Anyone with information on the men should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
