Smooth Talking Mugger Punches Woman in Face, Steals Her Laptop

Police are searching for this man in connection with a vicious mugging on Fordham Road. -Photo by NYPD

By Dan Gesslein

Bronx Voice 

May 18, 2023

BRONX - Cops are looking for a smooth talking mugger who tried to chat up his victim before robbing her. When she tried to get away, the man viciously assaulted her on a busy commercial strip in broad daylight. 

At around 1:45 pm on April 13, an 18-year-old woman was in front of a store at East Fordham Road and Morris Avenue. A man walked up to her and started up a conversation. 

At some point the woman tried to walk away and the man gave chase. Cops say the man caught up to her, threw his cold drink at her and then punched her twice in the face. 

The mugger ripped the victim’s bag off her shoulder and ran off southbound on Morris Avenue.

The bag contained the victim’s laptop. 

The woman was treated at the scene by EMS for a laceration, bruising and swelling to her face. 

Police released surveillance video of the suspect. In the video the man is seen walking with a frozen drink. Cops believe this is the drink the mugger threw at the woman before she was assaulted. 

The suspect is described as a male with a dark complexion. He has long dark, braided hair. He was last seen wearing a black t-shirt and camouflage shorts and was wearing a dark face mask at the time. 

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or on Twitter @NYPDTips. 

All calls are strictly confidential.