Thug punches, stomps, drags 66-year-old man on sidewalk in broad daylight as victim repeatedly hollers for help — and thug steals bag containing $17,000 in cash

A suspect was caught on video physically attacking a 66-year-old man on a New York City sidewalk last week before stealing a bag from the victim containing $17,000 in cash, WNYW-TV reported.

The elderly victim was heard on video repeatedly hollering for help during the daylight attack as at least one motorist passed right by the scene.

What are the details?

New York City police said the attack took place around 1:20 p.m. Thursday as the victim was walking down 71st Street in Middle Village in Queens, WNYW said.

Police said the suspect approached the victim from behind and pushed him down to the pavement, the station reported.

Police said the suspect then began punching and kicking the victim before stealing a bag containing $17,000 in cash, WNYW said, after which the suspect ran away on foot and got into a maroon Ford Fusion that head toward Eliot Avenue.

Police said the victim sustained minor injuries, the station reported, and EMS treated him at the scene.

Anything else?

Police released surveillance photos of the suspects, who previously were seen inside a drug store on Eliot Avenue, WNYW reported.

Image source: New York City Police

Those with information about the incident can confidentially call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), the station said, adding that tips also can be submitted by logging on to the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or on Twitter @NYPDTips.

How are folks reacting?

Twitter commenters on the NYPD Crime Stoppers post about the attack and robbery weren't happy:

• "If the victim was allowed to protect himself with a gun, I bet the suspect would have learned his lesson right away!" one user declared.
• "Yeah, the cops are supposed to risk their lives and jobs to find these scum just so the socialist prosecutors and judges can free them with gift cards," another commenter said.
• "It's OK guys, he clearly needed the money more than the victim," another user quipped. "It's just Democrats policies, redistributing wealth. Everything is going [according] to their plan."
• "Middle Village was one of the good neighborhoods when I was growing up," another commenter recalled.