DITMARS — Police are looking for a suspect who robbed a 78-year-old man in Queens, tossing the victim to the ground in an attack that was partially caught on video.
The victim was buying cigarettes from the window of a convenience store on 31st Street near Ditmars Boulevard Tuesday morning when a man grabbed him and threw him onto the sidewalk, according to the NYPD and the video.
A clerk at the store, News at 31 Inc. located at 22-44 31st St., said the thief had been waiting inside the shop for about 30 minutes before the robbery.
“I asked him twice, 'Why are you here?' He said, 'It's cold outside and I'm waiting for someone,'" said the clerk, Bipin Mehta, 67.
Mehta said the victim "came to the window to buy Pall Mall cigarettes. He took out a lot of cash, and the other guy went out, threw him to ground, punched him and took the money."
"It happened so fast. He ran across the street and we lost sight of him," he added.
Mehta said he and other Good Samaritans raced to the victim's aid.
"He was face up on his back, and his eyes were closed," Mehta said. "I thought he was dead. He was unconscious for a while."
Police say the victim was taken to Elmhurst Hospital for a head injury, where he is in stable condition.
The suspect is described as about 35 years old, 5 foot 9, and 200 pounds with a light complexion and brown eyes, according to police. He wore a black jacket with white stripes on the sleeves, a white hooded jacket, blue jeans and tan boots.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS.
