The man convicted of using his son’s stroller to attack seniors on the Upper East Side last year was ordered Thursday to serve five years in prison.
Sam Mensah, 33, appeared before Judge Felicia Mennin inside a 111 Centre Street courtroom on Sept. 5 and only had one request before being sentenced: that he not be moved far so he could still have visitations from his son.
“I have a child that is in ACS, I don’t want to be pushed too far,” Mensah said. Judge Mennin responded that she could not fulfill that request as it was out of her jurisdiction.
Mensah was found guilty of using his son’s stroller as a weapon with which he attacked at least six people — most of them women — on the Upper East Side during the summer of 2023. According to police sources, Mensah terrorized the neighborhood for months and became infamous when he shoved a 64-year-old grandmother to the ground on East 77th Street and Third Avenue.
The New York Post reported that the victim’s daughter-in-law wondered, at the time, why child protective services had not gotten involved and removed the bit from his care, something that both Mensah and his lawyer revealed on Thursday had finally taken place.
“I believe the child is maybe two years old, who is in ACS custody, he gets visits with that child. Those visits would extensively take place here in New York City,” attorney Raymond Loving said.
A 68-year-old man who was knocked unconscious by Mensah on East 86th Street and Lexington Avenue also attended the sentencing to see his attacker face justice.
“I am one of the victims,” the man said, taking a seat. “I am here to see him.”
In addition to the prison sentence, Mensah was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release.
“Today, Sam Mensah is being held accountable for his unprovoked attacks. New Yorkers should be safe while walking through the streets of Manhattan. I hope today’s sentencing gives the victims a sense of closure as they continue to heal from the assaults,” Manhatten DA Alvin Bragg.
