A waiter needed 120 stitches after he was slashed across the face by a panhandler begging for money at an New York City restaurant, police say.
The waiter was slashed at about 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Silver Spurs Restaurant near the NYU campus in Greenwich Village.
The suspect was in the restaurant begging customers for money for a "basketball team," so the manager asked him to leave, police said.
But the panhandler said "I'll be back," returned moments later and slashed a 25-year-old waiter across the face.
"We've been here over 20 years," said manager Andy Pirgousis. "Nothing like this has ever happened."
The waiter was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was listed in serious but stable condition Wednesday night.
He had to get stitches to close up injuries to his face and was eventually released, police said. Pirgousis said that the worker is expected to be back at work on Monday.
"He's going to be ok," Pirgousis said. "That's a good thing."
People living in the area were shocked by the violence.
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"This is very shocking. I live in the neighborhood and it's a very safe neighborhood usually. This is really, really shocking," one resident said.
No arrests have been made in the case.
Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
