A Miami man has been taken into custody yesterday for a reported assault on his elderly neighbor at a bus stop in the Shenandoah neighborhood. Yendry Sanchez, 45, stands accused of aggravated battery on a person aged 65 or older, details an arrest report from the Miami Police Department. The alleged incident occurred around 10 a.m. near the 900 block of Southwest 22nd Avenue, leaving the victim in need of hospitalization.
According to Local 10 News, a witness was driving by when he reportedly saw Sanchez repeatedly punch and kick the seated, elderly man at the bus stop bench. The witness attempted to urgently stop the assault by exiting his vehicle and yelling at the attacker, who then swiftly fled the scene on foot. Responding to a 911 call, the Miami Police arrived to find the victim, visibly injured and distressed, being treated by Miami Fire Rescue before being transported to HCA Florida Mercy Hospital.
Sanchez was later identified by the Miami Police, aided by surveillance footage from a nearby business which captured the events. The video depicted the elderly man arriving and sitting at the bus stop, soon followed by the attacker. Sanchez is seen striking the victim to the head and face, causing the man to slump over on the bench. In a statement obtained by NBC Miami, police confirmed that after reading his Miranda rights, Sanchez waived his rights and agreed to provide a statement, though the specifics of his statement have been redacted in the publicly available report.
A subsequent interview with the victim in the hospital revealed that he had experienced a disturbing encounter with Sanchez earlier that morning. According to the victim's account, Sanchez became agitated when he could not gain entry into their shared apartment building, resorting to kick the front door and shout at the victim. The elderly man chose to ignore the outburst and went on to the bus stop where he was later attacked without warning. Details of the victim's age or condition have not been disclosed.
Sanchez is currently being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, awaiting bond to be set. Local 10 News has made a request for the surveillance footage of the alleged attack to aid in broadening public understanding of the incident.
