May 29, 2024 By Bill Parry
A 56-year-old man was knocked unconscious during an unprovoked attack inside a Woodside playground on Sunday evening by a stranger who should be easy to spot if he is still in the neighborhood, likely around the Berkley Towers co-op apartment complex.
Police from the 108th Precinct in Long Island City reported that the victim was inside the Lawrence J. Virgilio Playground, which is part of the larger Windmuller Park, at around 7:20 p.m. when the suspect approached him and threw a punch in his face, causing the victim to fall to the ground, striking his head in a random assault that left him unconscious, police said. The assailant fled the location on foot in an unknown direction.
EMS responded to the crime scene and rushed the victim to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.
The NYPD released surveillance images of the suspect on Tuesday and described him as having a light complexion with bushy black hair, a mustache, and a beard. He wore black-rimmed eyeglasses, a gray t-shirt, black sweatpants rolled up at the knees, and dark sneakers. The assailant was also carrying a black backpack and several other items that he put down before slugging his victim.
Anyone with information regarding 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 Crime Stoppers website at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
Through May 26, the 108th Precinct has reported 93 assaults so far in 2024, 5 more than the 88 reported at the same point last year, an increase of 5.7%, according to the most recent CompStat report.