Surveillance photo of Anthony Melendez, released to the public ahead of his arrest
Manhattan D.A. Bragg has announced the indictment of 38-year-old Anthony Melendez for an unprovoked assault targeting an elderly woman on the Upper West Side.
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“Anthony Melendez allegedly attacked a 77-year-old woman who was walking home from the grocery store in an unprovoked daylight attack,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Manhattanites deserve to feel safe on the streets of New York, and those who jeopardize their safety will be held accountable. I hope the victim continues to heal from this horrific assault.”
The incident happened on Friday, September 13, and was one of two assaults against elderly woman on the UWS that day.
At about 2:05 p.m. that day, the 77-year-old woman was walking home from the grocery store while pushing her shopping cart on West 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue. Melendez–walking in the opposite direction while carrying a large plastic bag and pulling a rolling suitcase–punched her in the head so forcefully that it knocked her glasses off. An eyewitness picked up her glasses and walked her home.
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Melendez was arrested on September 19 while pulling the same suitcase he had in his possession at the time of the attack.
Melendez, who resides at a NYCHA building in Brooklyn, is being charged on 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).
Hansel Esparragoza, 37–who assaulted an 81-year-old woman on the Upper West Side that very same day–was recently indicted as well.
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He punched an old lady in the head? 5-15 years upstate. Goodbye. No bail. See ya.
“Melendez, who resides at a NYCHA building in Brooklyn,”
what I really want to see is have him lose the privilege of NYCHA housing. Why should our tax dollars go towards subsidizing his housing?
Good thought. I wonder if that is even a thing?