FINANCIAL DISTRICT — A newsstand owner was left with a bloody gash on his head after two teenagers flung traffic cones at his face last week, police said.
The young men, a 16-year-old and a 14-year-old, each threw a heavy orange cone at 58-year-old Bobby Patel as he worked in his 55 Fulton St. newsstand at about 3:50 p.m. on March 26, police said.
According to Patel, the attack, which left him bloodied and bruised, was unprovoked.
"All of a sudden they start throwing these things at me," said Patel, who's run the stand for more than 13 years. "It was bad, very bad."
He was treated with stitches to his head and released from New York-Presbyterian/ Lower Manhattan Hospital, he said.
Patel, sitting in his newsstand Tuesday, pointed to the stitches he had across the top of his head.
"I need to be back at work, someone has to run the business, for our family," he said, then declined to speak more, saying the whole experience was "still too much" for him to process.
According to police, the teens are students at the Manhattan Early College School for Advertising, a nearby high school.
The 16-year-old was charged with second degree assault. A call to his lawyer was not immediately returned. He was released on his own recognizance and is due back in court on June 15.
The 14-year-old's court records are not available because of his age.
Other incidents in this week’s 1st Precinct crime blotter:
► A woman had $400 snatched out of her hands after getting the money from an ATM at 130 Fulton St. on March 25, police said. The 55-year-old woman told police that she noticed someone follow her as she stepped into a Bank of America ATM vestibule at about 4 p.m. When she turned around with the cash in her hand, the thief suddenly grabbed her money, according to the NYPD.
► Shoplifters grabbed a pair of $1,725 sneakers from the Rick Owens store at 250 Hudson Street on March 30, according to police. Police said a man and woman stole the pricey sneakers from a shelf at about 3:40 p.m., then fled the store. The boutique did not immediately return request for comment.
► A man and woman stole $10,590 worth of clothes from boutique Dsquared2 on March 28 at about 11:19 a.m., according to police. Police said the man hid the items in his pants, then the pair walked out of the 402 W. Broadway store.
The shop did not immediately return request for comment.
► A shoplifter swiped nine cardigans worth a total of $1,152 from clothing store Anthropologie on March 15 at about 3:15 p.m, police said. Anthropolgie, at 375 W. Broadway, did not immediately return request for comment.
