Police need the public’s help in finding an amused assailant who brutally stabbed a man sleeping on a Manhattan park bench last month — then smiled at him before fleeing.
Law enforcement sources said the dastardly attack happened at 4:30 a.m. on Dec. 24 inside of East River Park, near the intersection of East 10th Street and the FDR Drive.
According to authorities, the 38-year-old victim was sleeping on the bench when the culprit approached and repeatedly stabbed him in the back and left arm.
When the victim woke up, cops said, he spotted the suspect putting on a black ski mask and head out of the park toward a footbridge. After getting to the crossing, authorities said, he took the mask off and smiled at the victim, then ran into the nearby Jacob Riis Housing Developments.
The incident was reported to the 7th and 9th Precincts. Paramedics brought the victim to Bellevue Medical Center in stable condition.
On Jan. 13, the NYPD released video footage of the perpetrator behind the Christmas Eve assault. Police described him as a black man between 25 and 35 years of age, standing 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighing about 170 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black hooded sweater, gray sweatpants and light-colored sneakers.
Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA), visit the Crime Stoppers website or send a direct message on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
