Police are searching for the man responsible for breaking an elderly woman’s jaw as she was walked on a Brooklyn sidewalk last month in what appears to be a senseless and unprovoked attack.
In an interview with ABC News, the victim, identified as 71-year-old Joan Baptiste, says she remembers walking home and then “Somebody said, ‘We have to call 911.’ I said, ‘I’m going home,’ and they said, ‘No, you have to go to the hospital because you are bleeding,'” she said.
Police say the incident occurred Sept. 19, on New York Avenue in the Prospect Lefferts Gardens neighborhood, reported Fox News.
Baptiste, a mother of three and grandmother of 11, was said to be walking home from her job at a day care when she was suddenly attacked.
In a surveillance video released by police, Baptiste can be seen walking down the sidewalk, an unidentified man approaches and suddenly punches her in face. Shen then collapses to the ground as the suspect casually strolls away.
????WANTED for an Assault. On Friday, 9/19/19 at 5:25 P.M. in front of 532 New York Ave. #Brooklyn #Prospect @NYPD71Pct ????Reward up to $2500???? Seen him? Know who he is????? Call 1-800-577-TIPS or DM us! ☎️Calls are CONFIDENTIAL! #YourCityYourCall #NYPDDetectives pic.twitter.com/LKTrX4e5IX
— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) September 30, 2019
Baptiste was later rushed to Kings County Hospital in serious but stable condition, the attack left her with a broken jaw and other injuries.
Baptiste says she has no idea why the attack occurred, and has no recollection of ever seeing the suspect before.
She also doesn’t remember getting punched, but is glad the assault was not worse.
“God is good. It could have been worse. I could have been dead. If it had happened in the street, with vehicles coming and they pass over me, then it could have been worse. So I thank God it happened that way,” she said.
Baptiste also mentioned that she believes the suspect was most likely involved in criminal activity prior to the attack.
“Somebody like that, it’s a criminal because if you have mother or parents or family, you’d never do such thing to nobody,” she said.
“You did what you did. But anyway, there is a God above. He is the one to judge you because I am a believer,” she added.
Individual shown is WANTED for assaulting a 71-yr-old woman on New York Ave in #Brooklyn on Sep 19. Victim was a passerby in this apparently random, unprovoked attack & suffered a broken jaw & other serious injuries. If you have info, contact @NYPDTips anonymously 800-577-TIPS pic.twitter.com/rXB1pkZkE5
— Chief Dermot F. Shea (@NYPDDetectives) September 30, 2019
Baptiste also mentioned that she believes the suspect will be apprehended at some point.
Caleta Ellis, a friend of Baptiste, says she has quite the road to recovery ahead of her.
“They did reconstruction surgery on her jaw, so she cannot eat solid food, only puréed food,” she said.
Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
