A 68-year-old man was punched in the face aboard a BX1 bus near East 172nd Street and Grand Concourse in the Bronx on October 23, and more than two weeks later, the person who hit him is still being sought by police. The attacker approached the victim around 12:45 p.m. that Friday, struck him on the left side of the face, and then fled on foot heading north on Grand Concourse.
NYPD Crime Stoppers detailed the attack in a post shared on social media, writing that the incident happened within the confines of the 44th Precinct and that an unidentified individual approached a 68-year-old male victim
EMS responded to the scene and transported the victim to BronxCare Health System, where he was listed in stable condition. Police are seeking the suspect, whose identity remains unknown.
Crime Stoppers is asking anyone with information to come forward, either by direct messaging @NYPDTips or calling 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The agency is asking for information about the case.
A Pattern of Attacks Along the Grand Concourse Corridor
This is not the only recent assault reported on a Bronx bus along that stretch of Grand Concourse. In a separate incident, a 23-year-old man was slashed in the face aboard a Bx2 bus near East 163rd Street and the Grand Concourse around 5:02 p.m., according to ABC7 New York, which reported that victim was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln and was expected to survive.
Older riders have also been targeted elsewhere nearby. News 12 Bronx reported that a 68-year-old woman was punched in the head and face with closed fists while aboard a bus at East 170th Street and Grand Concourse, and the suspect in that case also fled. The outlet separately reported that a 76-year-old man was punched in the face while waiting for a bus on Third Avenue in late August, falling unconscious to the ground as the attacker took off.
Other Recent Bus Assaults Reported Across the Borough
Further from the Grand Concourse corridor, amNewYork reported that a 28-year-old woman was punched and choked aboard a Bx4 bus as it approached Webster Avenue and East Fordham Road in Fordham, in an attack that unfolded around 4 p.m. on Sept. 9. These incidents occurred at different locations and on different dates.
The string of attacks comes amid broader scrutiny of transit safety in the city. CBS News reported that crime in transit was up 18% so far this year compared with the previous year; after a significant uptick in January, additional officers were sent into the system. Hoodline separately reported a 1.3% decline in the broader category of major transit felonies across the MTA transit system, a different measure that should not be read as directly comparable to the CBS figure.
For now, the person responsible for punching the 68-year-old man on the BX1 remains unidentified, and investigators are relying on the public for leads. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers through the tip line rather than approach anyone involved.
