A 67-year-old man was beaten and robbed Monday afternoon in Canarsie, left with facial lacerations and swelling after an attacker came up from behind, punched and kicked him repeatedly, and ran off with his cellphone and iPad. Police say the assault happened near East 101st Street and Avenue J, and the victim was taken to Mount Sinai Brooklyn for treatment.
According to News12 Brooklyn, the assailant approached the man from behind before launching the attack, striking him throughout the body as he tried to defend himself. The attacker then took off on foot along East 101st Street with the victim's phone and tablet in hand, according to the same report.
The injuries to the man's face were severe enough to require hospital treatment, and he was brought to Mount Sinai Brooklyn, per the outlet's account. No description of the attacker or update on an arrest has been released in connection with Monday's incident.
A Pattern of Attacks on Older Canarsie Residents
Monday's robbery is not the first time an older resident has been targeted in the neighborhood. Police were previously searching for a man who assaulted an 80-year-old man in Canarsie, a case documented separately by the station's report. In that incident, the suspect approached the 80-year-old victim from behind and punched him multiple times in the face before running away, with the attack happening at 2066 Rockaway Parkway on Feb. 19 at 12:30 p.m.
Other recent Canarsie cases add to the pattern, though no link between them and Monday's attack has been established. A 73-year-old person was pushed to the ground during a robbery in the neighborhood, with the suspect still at large, per the same outlet's earlier coverage. And in March, a group was wanted for walking up to a man near 9798 Glenwood Road, demanding money, and punching him after a fight broke out just before 5:30 p.m., according to that report.
Citywide Robbery Numbers Offer Mixed Context
The attack comes even as city officials have pointed to a broader decline in robbery. The NYPD announced that robbery dropped nearly 8% in the first quarter of 2026, falling to 2,941 incidents from 3,192 a year earlier, with declines reported across all five boroughs. The department also noted the first quarter of 2026 saw 1,000 fewer robberies than the same period in 2024.
Crime statistics broken down by police borough and precinct are updated weekly and published by the NYPD, though no precinct-level data specific to Monday's Canarsie attack has been released. Anyone with information about the assault is asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).
