New video shows a vicious attack on a school crossing guard as she was carjacked in the Bronx, and police are now searching for the suspect.
Video obtained exclusively by NBC New York showed the moment around noon on Monday when the 60-year-old New Yorker was dragged out of her SUV, ripped from behind the wheel and thrown to the ground in Eastchester. Screams could be heard coming from the victim, as she was kicked, punched and left bruised — while her attacker, dressed in white, drove off in her vehicle.
The owner of a business across the street heard the screams and rushed to help the woman.
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"Just instinct. You see someone who is down and out you try to help them up," said Krish Maharaj. "She did have bruises on her legs. The gentlemen did kick her a few times. And she was really shaken up. She lost everything: wallet, phone, keys. She was really down and out...I was telling her just everything was gonna be OK. As bad as it sounds, it is material things and as long as you’re OK. You’re healthy and still safe, that’s most important.”
The store where this video came from is hoping that the images help capture the assailant.
The crossing guard is adored in the Eastchester neighborhood. Police said she was waiting in her SUV and preparing to make sure children from the Rosa Parks Educational Campus on Steenwick Avenue were safe leaving school when she was targeted, beaten and robbed.
"She was always helping people crossing the street. Not only that if you wanted to speak to her. She will listen to you. That’s the kind of people she was. She’ll listen to you and she did more than crossing. She also counseled. She was helping people man," said a local resident.
NBC New York also also obtained exclusive cellphone video showing the alleged attacker sleeping in the bed of a pickup truck just 90 minutes before the attack. Maharaj said the community needs police to make an arrest.
"Absolutely important. There’s a lot of schools nearby. You never want that happening to anyone else, children especially. I hope they find him soon, yeah," said Maharaj.
Police are confident people in the area will recognize the attacker and are asking for help from the community. Anyone with information regarding the attack or the suspect is urged to contact police.
