MOTT HAVEN — A thief sprayed a 72-year-old Bronx woman in the face with an unknown substance before throwing her to the ground and snatching her purse, police said.
The woman was inside her East 137th Street apartment building on Tuesday around 7:45 p.m. when the suspect got into the elevator with her, according to the NYPD.
She got off on the seventh floor, and the suspect then sprayed her in the face with an unknown substance, threw her to the ground, stole her purse and fled, police said.
Officers described the suspect as a man who weighs about 160 pounds and stands roughly 5 feet, 6 inches tall. He has a tattoo on the back of his neck and was last seen wearing a black jacket, red sneakers, blue jeans and a blue Yankees baseball hat.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS. The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers Website at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or texting their tips to 274637(CRIMES), then entering TIP577. All calls are kept strictly confidential.
