Video Captures Man Punching Elderly Woman, Stealing Bible in New York

A new video captured a man in New York attacking an elderly woman as he attempted to steal her purse and Bible.

The video, which was posted to Twitter by the New York Police Department (NYPD) News account, shows the unidentified man yanking the purse from the woman's hands.

As the 77-year-old woman struggled to pull her purse back from the suspect, he can be seen in the video hitting her in the face. The man then slammed the woman into a parking pay station meter and snatched her purse.

The incident occurred on Sunday, September 12, at approximately 12 p.m. local time, near 21-12 36 Avenue in Queens, New York, which is in the confines of the NYPD's 114th Precinct.

An NYPD spokesperson confirmed to Newsweek that the suspect, who approached the elderly woman while she was walking down the street, forcibly removed her purse and Bible after assaulting her.

"The individual then fled on foot eastbound on 35 Avenue," the spokesperson said.

The NYPD did not provide any further information on the suspected attacker but in the video, he can be seen wearing a black baseball hat, white sunglasses, gray sweatpants and a black sweatshirt with a white design.

The 77-year-old woman that was attacked sustained "lacerations to her hands," during the attack, according to the NYPD. She was evaluated by emergency medical service (EMS) personnel following the incident, but she "refused further medical attention."

In a tweet on Tuesday, the NYPD Crime Stoppers Twitter account asked the public's help in identifying the attacker and said, "Call @ 800-577-TIPS or DM NYPDTips Reward up to $3500."

Earlier this week, the NYPD asked the public for help in identifying a man that was caught on camera kicking a woman down an escalator in Brooklyn. A spokesperson for the NYPD previously told Newsweek that the man and woman got into a "verbal exchange that escalated when the unidentified male kicked the victim in her chest, which caused her to fall several feet down the escalator."

Over the past year, there has been a .90 percent decrease in crime overall in New York City, when compared to 2020, according to data from the police department. The data shows a 4.4 percent decrease in murder, a 1.4 percent decrease in robbery and a 24 percent decrease in burglary.