Homeless man arrested after punching 89-year-old woman in Harlem
Police identified Eron Cruz, who has two active warrants and a history of similar incidents involving seniors.
By Giulia Gallagher ·
An 89-year-old woman was hospitalized after an unprovoked assault in Upper Manhattan on Tuesday. The attack occurred around 11:30 a.m. outside a medical office at 565 West 125th Street in Harlem. Police said the suspect punched the woman in the face, causing her to strike a wall and sustain a laceration and a head knot.
Officers from the 26th Precinct made the arrest shortly after the incident. A witness had spotted the patrol car nearby while the officers were investigating vehicle thefts in the area. The witness alerted the team to the assault, prompting a chase that ended when they cornered the fleeing suspect.
The victim was transported to Saint Luke’s Hospital, where staff listed her condition as stable. Authorities identified the 32-year-old suspect as Eron Cruz on Wednesday. He faces a charge of assaulting a person older than 65. At the time of his capture, Cruz held two active warrants for his release.
Records show Cruz has a pattern of interacting with older pedestrians. On August 7, he was arrested after shoving a 64-year-old woman at the intersection of Broadway and West 72nd Street, causing back injuries. In January 2022, police detained him at Saint Nicholas Avenue and West 145th Street for repeatedly hitting a 29-year-old commuter on a Bx19 bus.
Police sources note that Cruz has accumulated four prior arrests. Investigators also cite 33 documented mental health incidents associated with the suspect in recent records.
Source: amNY
