The man convicted in the vicious attack of a 91-year-old Manhattan candy store legend, which left the victim bleeding on the ground outside his East Village shop, was sentenced to a decade behind bars, prosecutors announced.
Luis Peroza was sentenced Friday to 10 years in state prison for the March 2023 beatdown of Ray Alvarez, the owner of the eponymous Ray's Candy Store. The popular late-night Manhattan staple on Avenue A, opened and run by Alvarez since 1974, is known for its egg creams and fried Oreos.
It's also where the 40-year-old Peroza carried out his attack around 3:30 a.m. with two other men, according to the Manhattan district attorney's office, when the shop is frequently at its busiest.
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According to Alvarez, the man approached him outside his shop and asked if he wanted to buy seltzer water. Alvarez says he told them, "no, thanks," and ended up whacked in the head with a belt that had a heavy rock at its end after he asked what was in the box.
"Then he told his friend, 'Hold this I want to kill this guy,'" Alvarez said previously. "He surprised me and I thought the end of the world, I hit the ground, saw the blood and I thought this looks like the end."
The victim was left with a broken jaw, fractured facial bones and a black eye.
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Peroza ran off immediately afterward; the attackers got away with nothing in the end. Alvarez was left badly bruised, suffering debilitating injuries to his face and chest. Alvarez told NBC New York he was in so much pain from his dislocated jaw that he could only drink from a straw.
Police said Peroza's violent spree wasn't over: Later that day, he and the two others went after a different man who refused to buy a cigarette.
Peroza pleaded guilty to three counts of first-degree assault in December. His attorney did not address reporters after court on Wendesday. In the courtroom, the judge asked Peroza if he had anything to say. After pausing for a few moments, Peroza said "I'm alright."
Alvarez has quite the personal story: He deserted the Iranian navy and ended up in New York before opening up his shop, which has seen a who's who of celebrities come through its doors over the years. He told NBC New York he was attacked on the job once before, but nothing quite like this.
Alvarez initially didn't want to press charges and get the police involved, but people who live around here were so outraged, they convinced him to file a police report.
The nonagenarian said he has a job to do — so he didn't take any time off. A few hours after the incident, he went right back to manning his counter. Despite the gash on the side of his head, not being able to chew and having trouble sleeping, Alvarez said he did not want to go to the doctor.
"This happens, you know, and I still love New York," he said. "It's OK, I'll be alright, it will pass."
