What to Know
- A suspect allegedly seen on surveillance video beating a Bronx man inside an apartment building's elevator has been arrested, cops said
- The attack happened Friday in an apartment building along Southern Boulevard in the Belmont neighborhood, the NYPD said
- The NYPD said a motive for the attack is still unknown, but the victim is expected to recover
A suspect allegedly seen on startling surveillance video beating a Bronx man inside an apartment building's elevator has been arrested, police said.
Joshua Marrero was charged for the attack last Friday at a building on Southern Boulevard in the Belmont neighborhood, according to police. It was not immediately clear what charges he was facing.
The 67-year-old victim and Marrero knew each other, law enforcement sources say, and the man was able to later identify the attacker to police.
In the video, the victim is seen stepping into the elevator immediately after the suspect. Once the door closes, the suspect starts punching the man until he falls to the floor of the elevator.
The victim didn't want to be identified but previously told NBC New York that he's a veteran. He said he lives with his elderly mother in the building and they are now both terrified to leave their home following the brutal attack.
He also said he had seen the suspect in the neighborhood before, and described screaming for help but receiving none. (When NBC New York arrived at the building Monday morning, a single security guard appeared to be asleep in the building's lobby.)
When the beating was over, the suspect appeared to wipe down the elevator door with his sleeve to get rid of his finger prints. Police say the suspect fled the building and jumped in a dark colored minivan and took off.
The NYPD said a motive for the attack is still unknown, but the victim is expected to recover.
Local
Some residents of the building are shaken that such a violent attack happened in their home.
"I'm scared because I'm 70 years [old]. I live alone with my two doggies. I have no kids," said Anna Colon, who lives in the building. "That's why someone knocking at my door I don't open it."
