A mugger brutally punched a 68-year-old parishioner down the steps of her Queens church early Sunday – then snatched her purse and rode off in her automobile as she lie on the bottom in ache, authorities mentioned.
The sufferer was approaching the doorway of the St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church on 152nd Road in Briarwood round 8:20 a.m. when the much-younger attacker fame up behind her and clocked her within the face, in keeping with cops and the church’s pastor, Father Konstantinos Kalogridis.
The pressure of the bkow despatched her tumbling backward down the steps, cops mentioned.
The brute ripped off the lady’s purse holding $300, a cellphone, a bank card and automobile keys, authorities mentioned.
Then he took off within the badly injured sufferer’s 2006 Nissan Altima whereas the sufferer stil lied on the bottom, police mentioned.
“She’s a parishioner of our church who was coming to church to attend the service within the morning,” Kalogridis instructed The Put up in a cellphone interview. “I used to be within the workplace throughout the service however after I noticed the footage of what occurred, it was horrible.”
“I can’t consider — proper on the highest of the steps of the church — to do that to an aged lady,” Kalogridis instructed The Put up in a cellphone interview. “I hope they discover this man they usually go to jail.”
The sufferer was initially hospitalized in essential situation, however Kalogridis mentioned he had since visited her and her situation had stabilized.
“She’s an everyday parishioner,” the pastor mentioned. “She has an exquisite household… and she or he has her religion within the Lord and she or he’s a humble individual that might give her best to her household and her group.”
“I gave her a blessing and gave her communion and I prayed for her, and we’re hoping she’ll come out robust and have a full restoration,” he added. “And even [when] the nurses noticed me go to her, they’d say, ‘Oh, she’s so candy! So good!’”
Police launched a video Monday of the suspect, believed to be between 18 and 25 years previous, operating off with the senior’s bag.
A nonetheless photograph reveals him along with his arms outstretched whereas standing on the prime of the church steps, apparently simply after knocking the parishioner down.
“[Parishioners] had been shocked as a result of we don’t have incidents like that right here on this space of the neighborhood,” Kalogridis mentioned. “There was concern, they had been offended and unhappy for the lady as she went via this.”
The pastor mentioned the NYPD’s native 107th Precinct has opted to extend its presence across the church as they seek for the attacker – particularly throughout the ongoing season of Orthodox Lent.
“They’re going to be sending patrols right here simply to control the world, so now we have the help of the police 100% on this,” he mentioned.
The NYPD has described the attacker as a person with a darkish complexion, between 18 and 25 years previous, standing round 5-foot-8 with a medium construct.
He was final seen carrying a purple hoodie beneath a black jacket, black pants, black face masks and black Jordans with purple trim.
Anybody with info on the crime is requested to name the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
The general public can even submit their suggestions by logging onto the Crime Stoppers web site at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on X @NYPDTips.
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