A quiet walk along Central Park West turned violent for a 71-year-old woman, and now detectives on the Upper West Side are asking neighbors to help them find the person who hit her.
Police say the woman was walking near Central Park West and West 100th Street on the evening of April 2 when a stranger came up from the sidewalk, slapped her in the face, and took off running eastbound on Central Park West. The blow left her with pain and swelling, but she declined medical attention at the scene. Investigators have since circulated a wanted alert and are looking for tips and any video that might have captured the attack.
According to West Side Rag, the NYPD also released a still image of the person they are seeking in connection with the case and pegged the incident at roughly 6:30 p.m. on April 2. That coverage noted the victim refused treatment, and detectives are combing through surveillance footage from around the area.
NYPD Asks For Tips And Offers Reward
On May 7, NYPD Crime Stoppers posted a wanted notice on X asking anyone with information to call 1-800-577-TIPS or submit a tip online, according to NYPD Crime Stoppers. The alert also listed a Spanish-language hotline, 1-888-57-PISTA, and urged anyone who might have photos or video from the evening of April 2 to share them with investigators.
A Pattern Of Attacks On Older New Yorkers
The slap on Central Park West is not happening in a vacuum. Recent neighborhood reporting and police posts have tracked a run of assaults on older New Yorkers across Manhattan, including a March attack that left a 71-year-old man injured on West 125th Street and an attempted robbery near Central Park South in early April. One recent case, in which a 71-year-old beaten on 125th, is among several where local outlets say detectives leaned heavily on Crime Stoppers tips and neighborhood security cameras to track suspects.
How To Help
Anyone with information or relevant footage is asked to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS or, for Spanish speakers, 1-888-57-PISTA. Tips can also be submitted through NYPD Crime Stoppers. Per NYC.gov, tipsters can remain anonymous and may qualify for rewards of up to $3,500 for information that leads to an arrest and indictment.
The case falls within the NYPD's 24th Precinct, and detectives there are continuing to review surveillance and follow up on leads. Anyone who recognizes the person in the released image or has useful footage from the area is urged to contact Crime Stoppers, or call 911 immediately if they spot the suspect in real time, West Side Rag reported.
