what to know
- Screams could be heard coming from the victim as she was kicked, punched and bruised as her attacker, dressed in white, drove off in his vehicle.
- The store where the video came from hopes the images will help capture the assailant.
- “She was always helping people cross the street. Not only that if you wanted to talk to her. She’ll listen to you. That’s the kind of person she was. She’ll listen to you and she did more than cross. She also gave advice. She was helping people,” said a local resident.
NEW YORK — New video shows a vicious attack on a school crossing guard when his car was stolen in the Bronx, and police are now searching for the suspect.
Video obtained exclusively by our sister network NBC New York showed the moment around noon Monday, when the 60-year-old New Yorker was dragged out of her pickup truck, yanked behind the wheel, and thrown to the ground in Eastchester. Screams could be heard coming from the victim as she was kicked, punched and bruised as her attacker, dressed in white, drove away in her vehicle.
A business owner across the street heard the screams and rushed to help the woman.
“Just instinct. You see someone who is down and you try to help them up,” Krish Maharaj said. “She had bruises on her legs. The knights kicked her a couple of times. And she was really shaken up. She lost everything: wallet, phone, keys. She was really depressed… I was telling her everything was going to be okay. As bad as it sounds, it’s things materials and as long as you’re well. You’re healthy and safe, that’s the most important thing.”
The store this video comes from hopes the footage will help capture the assailant.
The crossing guard is adored in the Eastchester neighborhood. Police said she was waiting in her truck and getting ready to make sure the children at the Rosa Parks Educational Campus on Steenwick Avenue were safely leaving school when she was attacked, beaten and robbed.
“She was always helping people cross the street. Not only that if you wanted to talk to her. She’ll listen to you. That’s the kind of person she was. She’ll listen to you and she did more than cross. She also gave advice. She was helping people,” said a local resident.
NBC New York also obtained exclusive cellphone video showing the alleged shooter sleeping in the bed of a pickup truck just 90 minutes before the attack. Maharaj said the community needs the police to make an arrest.
“Absolutely important. There are many schools nearby. You never want that to happen to anyone else, especially children. I hope they find it soon, yes,” Maharaj said.
Police are confident that people in the area will recognize the shooter and are asking the community for help. Anyone with information about the attack or the suspect should contact the police.
