EAST VILLAGE — Police charged a man Tuesday in the attempted robbery that led to the fatal beating of a 68-year-old ex-garment worker Friday night, authorities said.
Jamie Pugh, 20, was arrested after being questioned in the 9th Precinct and charged with robbery, assault and the murder of Ruan Wen Hui, who police said he attacked block from the victim's home.
Investigators believe Pugh confronted Hui outside 745 East 6th St. about 8:45 p.m., and ordered the older man to "Gimme something," witness told police.
When Hui, who neighbors said spoke limited English, walked away Pugh grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him into a wall before stomping and kicking his head, sources said. The vicious attack was captured on security video obtained by blog EV Grieve.
Hui, who lived on Avenue C near East 7th Street, lay on the ground with people passing him by for more than four minutes before a woman finally stopped and crouched next to him and kept watch over him until police came, according to the video.
Hui was taken to Bellevue and pronounced dead on Saturday, police said. The Medical Examiner ruled his death was a homicide and said he suffered blunt impact injuries to his head with skull fractures and "intracranial injuries," a spokeswoman said.
Hui had retired from his garment worker job about 2010 and had lived at his East Village apartment for 20 years, making friends with many people in the neighborhood, according to family and friends.
"He loved everyone," Hui's daughter, Michelle Ruan, who flew in from Arizona after the attack, told reporters on Monday. "We are very sad to see him go."
