A stranger randomly bashed a most cancers survivor within the head in a broad-daylight assault as he walked outdoors Macy’s Herald Sq. this week, cops stated – leaving the sufferer to lament that “New York will not be protected.”
Mustafa Sevindik, 71, was strolling along with his spouse, Hulya Sevindik, 66, and son outdoors the flagship retailer on West thirty fourth Road close to Seventh Avenue round 4:30 p.m. Wednesday when the petite feminine assailant started hitting him with out warning.
Mustafa initially felt a faucet on the again of his head and thought nothing of it earlier than the lady continued to strike him – doubtless together with her mobile phone – three extra occasions, Hulya instructed The Put up Thursday.
“She was cursing and hitting him,” the sufferer’s shaken spouse stated. “She hit him repeatedly and he stated the primary one, he thought any individual like a pal…noticed him and tapped him, [but] then she stored going then she ran.”
The unhinged attacker, believed to be in her 50s, then ran off into the enduring retailer, earlier than making her escape onto an escalator or elevator, cops stated.
“Then the staff got here and a few of them ran to catch her and he or she ran away,” Hulya added. “The officers got here, the fireplace division got here, and the ambulance they usually took him to the hospital.”
Mustafa was handled at Lenox Hill Healthplex for ache, swelling and bruising – however medical doctors stored him for a number of hours and performed CT scans as a result of they detected blood clots, his spouse stated.
“New York will not be protected,” Mustafa, initially from Turkey, stated as his spouse translated. “Let’s say she was holding one thing sharp or a knife or one thing. I’d be useless. As a result of it’s taking place on a regular basis in all places.”
Mustafa – who has most cancers and beforehand was present process chemotherapy on the hospital however now takes chemo capsules – was nonetheless rattled as he recovered at dwelling Thursday.
“He’s nonetheless scared,” his spouse stated. “He’s asking me, ‘Is one thing going to occur?’ His head nonetheless hurts him.”
In the meantime, cops are nonetheless searching for the crazed suspect, final seen sporting a protracted maroon bubble coat, black beanie hat, black pants and carrying a black bag, sources stated.
Each felony and misdemeanor assaults have seen a slight uptick to date this yr within the confines of the NYPD’s Midtown South Precinct, which covers the realm.
As of Sunday, 491 felony assaults have been reported within the precinct’s confines this yr, up from the 477 tallied throughout the identical interval in 2024, the statistics present.
And a complete of 1,003 misdemeanor assaults have been investigated by the NYPD throughout that very same time interval, a rise from the 927 such incidents reported final yr, in line with the information.
