Detectives in Manhattan need the public’s help in finding a group of young men who violently attacked two individuals outside an East Village apartment building earlier this month.
Cops said six suspects, in all, pummeled a 14-year-old boy with their fists during an apparent robbery attempt on the afternoon of March 8. They then attacked and stabbed a 23-year-old man who, police reported, attempted to intervene and stop the assault.
Law enforcement sources said the violence broke out at about 5 p.m. on March 8, when the mob of attackers confronted the 14-year-old boy in front of an apartment house near the corner of East 10th Street and the FDR Drive.
The confrontation, police reported, led to a physical dispute in which the mob wound up going on the attack, pounding the teenager with their fists. Cops said the victim was also “relieved” of his backpack, which contained his ID, during the brawl.
Authorities said a 23-year-old man who witnessed the attack then attempted to stop the assault — and was then knifed in the lower back for his trouble by one of the combatants.
Following the assaults, the group fled the scene in an unknown direction.
The incident was reported to the 9th Precinct. EMS brought the 23-year-old man to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition for treatment of a stab wound that was not considered life-threatening.
The 14-year-old victim, meanwhile, refused medical attention but suffered pain and swelling to his face, cops said.
On March 18, the NYPD released video footage of one of the attackers entering an apartment building at 466 East 10th St. shortly after the incident. He’s shown using an ID card to open the door.
Police did not provide footage of the other participants, who were described as Black males in their late teens.
Anyone with information regarding the assault or the suspect’s whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at nypdcrimestoppers.com, or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
