Hansel Esparragoza has been indicted on one count of Assault in the Second Degree and one count of Assault in the Third Degree.
Manhattan D.A. Bragg has announced the indictment of 37-year-old Hansel Esparragoza for assaulting an 81-year-old woman on the Upper West Side on Friday, September 13. This was one of two attacks against elderly women on the UWS that day.
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Esparragoza punched the woman in the face while she was walking her son’s dog on 66th and Amsterdam Avenue at about 7:09 p.m. He initially passed her, then turned around and punched her in the face from behind–”with so much force that she lost consciousness immediately,” according to the report from the D.A.’s office, as well as surveillance video which was obtained and shared by Fox 5 New York several days after the incident. “The victim fell to the ground and as she fell, she hit her face on the building’s exterior wall.”
Esparragoza continued walking after committing the unprovoked assault. Bystanders called the police while the victim lay motionless on the sidewalk, and police officers arrived and took the woman to an area hospital where she was treated for a fractured nose and concussion. “The victim has complete amnesia regarding the incident,” according to the D.A.’s office.
Police arrested Esparragoza in Staten Island in early October after a deli worker recognized him from news reports.
“As alleged, Hansel Esparragoza punched an 81-year-old woman in the face in an unprovoked attack, causing her to lose consciousness and fall to the ground,” said District Attorney Bragg. “New Yorkers deserve to be safe when they are going about their daily lives walking through their neighborhoods, and we will continue to prosecute those who threaten their safety. I hope the victim continues to heal from this assault.”
Esparragoza is facing one count of Assault in the Second Degree (a class D felony) and one count of Assault in the Third Degree (a class A misdemeanor).
The other suspect who assaulted an elderly woman on the Upper West Side that same day–Anthony Melendez, also 37–was arrested on September 19.
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