A 68-year-old woman was brutally attacked and robbed as she walked into St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in the Jamaica section of Queens, N.Y., over the weekend. The incident left her with a skull fracture, and she remains in critical condition.
According to her nephew, the suspect followed the woman up the church steps before jumping in front of her, knocking her down, and stealing $300 and her cellphone from her purse. The assailant then fled the scene in the woman's 2006 Nissan Altima.
Security camera footage captured the distressing moment when the woman fell backward on the steps and the thief rummaged through her belongings. Despite her injuries, the victim managed to get up and walk to her car after the attack, only to realize that her purse and keys were missing.
Her nephew recounted that the suspect, described as an 18 to 25-year-old man with a dark complexion, was seen watching her from a distance and seized the opportunity to steal her car when she stepped away. The woman then walked home, where her daughter called 911, and she was subsequently taken to the hospital by ambulance.
Although the victim is showing signs of improvement and can communicate to some extent, she is still unable to form complete sentences due to the severity of her injuries. Her family has gathered from out of state to support her during what is expected to be a lengthy recovery period.
The NYPD has obtained a fingerprint from the victim's car and is actively pursuing leads to identify the suspect. Authorities are urging anyone with information about the incident to contact the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish speakers.
