UPPER WEST SIDE — A homeless man sucker-punched a 79-year-old woman in the face in an unprovoked attack on the West shore of Central Park Lake Tuesday evening, police said.
The woman was standing near the intersection of West 77th Street and West Drive at 5:10 p.m., looking at the 20-acre lake, when Gean Colin hit her, an NYPD official said.
The elderly woman fell to the ground and suffered a lump on her face, prosecutors charged.
The victim, whose identity was not released, initially requested medical attention at the scene, but later refused to go to the hospital, police added.
Colin, 52, was arrested shortly after on West Drive, at 5:21 p.m., NYPD said. He was arraigned on charges of assault in the second degree, for attacking a victim 65 or older.
The attack is the latest in an series of major crimes reported in Central Park so far this year. NYPD statistics show that 10 such crimes have taken place within the park precinct through April 9, twice as many as were reported in the same period last year.
Colin's bail has been set at $5000 cash or bond, according to the Manhattan DA's office. He is due back in court on April 24.
