NEW YORK — Police charged a 35-year-old man with punching a 92-year-old in the head as she read the menu outside an Upper West Side restaurant Thursday afternoon.
Manuel Colon, the owner of Manny’s Bistro, said the woman is a regular customer and the attack was unprovoked.
“He punched her right in the head and she went like this,” said Colon, leaning forward onto the menu stand directly in front of his restaurant’s entrance. “I came running out and he started walking. I said, ‘are you OK? Have a seat.’”
According to police, Enrique Loeza punched the woman in the head shortly after 3:30 p.m. and continued walking along Columbus Avenue. That’s when Colon and his bartender decided to take action.
What You Need To Know
- The owner of Manny’s Bistro, Manuel Colon, said he witnessed an unprovoked attack on a regular who was reading the menu outside his restaurant Thursday afternoon
- According to police, 35-year-old Enrique Loeza attacked a 92-year-old woman shortly after 3:30 p.m. Thursday
- Authorities say he punched the woman in the back of the head and continued walking along Columbus Avenue
- Colon and a bartender followed the alleged attacker and phoned in a description to police, who then arrested Loeza and charged him with assault in the second degree
“We followed him and followed him. I gave the description to the 911 operator, and they were very, very quick,” Colon recalled. “They got here within 10 minutes.”
As Colon followed the alleged attacker, the man taunted others along the block. Police tracked him down, arrested him, and charged him with assault in the second degree.
“I just thought, as a citizen, I always try to look out for people. I’ve always been that way so I just wanted to help,” said Colon.
This incident was the latest attack on an unsuspecting senior in recent weeks. A woman shoved a 87-year-old Broadway vocal coach to the ground outside her Chelsea apartment on March 10. Barbara Maier Gustern suffered massive head trauma and later died from her injuries. Residents living nearby Manny’s Bistro say the attacks seem to happen too often.
“I just think we keep seeing these things happen. Let’s start to have the police do their job and that’s not happening right now because of political reasons,” said Peter Christian, an Upper West Side resident of 20 years.
Some neighbors said they may take more drastic steps for safety.
“We’re definitely heavily considering moving out of the city,” said Douglas Fahleson, who’s lived in the neighborhood with his wife for about three years.
As for the 92-year-old bistro patron, life goes on, according to Colon. After the attack, she did not seek medical attention and Colon says she already came back to eat again.
“She came by this morning for coffee and had a banquette and she was fine,” said Colon on Saturday.