A tragic incident took place in Brooklyn yesterday evening when 53-year-old Michael Shelonchik was assaulted and robbed in the back of a ride-hail car. According to Gothamist, Shelonchik was attacked around 6:15 p.m. by two men who opened the door of the vehicle at the intersection of West 5th Street and Neptune Avenue in Coney Island. In an attempt to escape the assailants, the driver drove only a few blocks away before it was found that Shelonchik had lost consciousness.
Despite the downward trend in robberies and felony assaults this year in the NYPD's 60th Precinct, which encompasses Coney Island, Brighton Beach, and Sea Gate, this event emerges as a violent breach of the community's relative peace. As reported by NYPD officials to Gothamist, "The driver tried to drive away from the perpetrators," but unfortunately, the aid came too late for Shelonchik who had already succumbed to his injuries.
First responders rapidly transported Shelonchik to Maimonides Medical Center following the event, where he was ultimately pronounced dead. The circumstances of his death remain under investigation. The authorities have not yet confirmed whether Shelonchik knew his assailants, and no immediate arrests have been made in connection to the assault. Information obtained by PIX11 further details that officers, responding to the incident, discovered him "unconscious and unresponsive behind the rear of a vehicle."
Police have not disclosed any additional specifics regarding the related robbery during which Shelonchik's life was tragically cut short. The ongoing investigation is scrutinized by the NYPD, and the medical examiner has been actively working to establish the exact cause of Shelonchik's death. He resided in Bergen Beach, Brooklyn, as per police records. The community waits for answers, with hopes that justice will be served for Shelonchik and his family in the wake of this sorrowful event.
